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Tinnitus, often described as a persistent ringing or buzzing sound in the ears, affects millions of people worldwide. It can be caused by various factors, such as exposure to loud noises, age-related hearing loss, or underlying health conditions. Our institute aims to educate individuals about tinnitus, its causes, and available treatment options.
Tinnitus can have various causes, and it is often associated with damage or dysfunction in the auditory system. Here are some common factors that can contribute to the development of tinnitus:
It’s important to note that in some cases, the exact cause of tinnitus may not be identified.
Our comprehensive approach includes physical therapy techniques specifically designed to alleviate tinnitus symptoms.
Postural Re-Education: Stretching and strengthening of the upper body can improve the alignment of the head, neck, and jaw, as well as improve chest position for optimal breathing and posture.
Manual Therapy: Your physical therapist will apply specialized manual techniques (hands-on techniques) to release a tight muscle or improve joint mobility, including joint mobilization, trigger point release, and deep tissue mobilization.
Dry Needling: A minimally invasive procedure that involves inserting thin needles into trigger points, can help release muscle tension and reduce the intensity of tinnitus. The most common muscles treated with dry needling for tinnitus are the sternocleidomastoid and deep masseter, which can both refer to symptoms of fullness, clogging, pain, or pressure to the ears. Other common muscles treated are the upper trapezius, scalene, and temporalis.
Myofunctional Therapy: A program used to correct the proper function and posture of the tongue and facial muscles at rest, while chewing and swallowing. A series of exercises are issued each week for the patient to perform at home. Many tinnitus patients demonstrate a clenching habit with resultant facial tension, and Myofunctional Therapy can help alleviate the tension that may be contributing to tinnitus.”
Restorative Breathing: Restoring proper breathing mechanics utilizing the nose and the diaphragm correctly. We also train to restore the proper ratio of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the blood through breathing techniques, proper volume, and breath rate.
Vestibular Therapy: Your physical therapist can also screen for inner ear imbalances that may cause dizziness in addition to your tinnitus. Exercises performed to strengthen the vestibular ocular reflex can help patients who have balance deficits or reports of vertigo.
Nasal Release Technique: This technique utilizes a decompressive balloon treatment in the nose to mobilize the cranial bones, which helps alleviate tinnitus symptoms in some patients. Many patients that experience tinnitus clench and grind, which causes compression to the head and cranial bones. This technique helps decompress the cranium and our skilled therapists that perform cranial functional manual therapy and cranial sacral treatment help to restore the normal function of the cranial sacral fluid system.
Restoration of Cervical Lordosis: Many patients have lost the normal curve of the cervical spine, which is important for absorbing forces from the weight of our heads and helping us maintain good posture. Specific manual therapy and exercises can help restore the normal curvature of the spine which can help reduce pain, headaches, TMJ issues, tinnitus, shoulder pain, and other issues. Restoring optimal alignment in the body helps reduce abnormal stress and strain on our joints and muscles.
Functional Manual Medicine: Craniosacral FMM usually involves the placement of the practitioner’s hands on the patient’s head with light pressure to guide the cranial bones into improved alignment and mobility. This soothing and relaxing technique is theorized to balance tension in the Dural membranes and optimize cerebral fluid flow. This is also a great treatment post-nasal release technique to help restore normal alignment and expansion and contraction of the cranial bones.
Dental Appliance: Our patients have reported that creating space between the teeth, especially if you are clenching and grinding at night, can help reduce tinnitus. We can recommend over-the-counter appliances or refer you to a dentist who will create a longer-lasting nighttime dental appliance to reduce compression around the ears.
Every physical therapist in the clinic is dedicated to our patients and utilizes his or her best professional knowledge and judgment to evaluate and treat each patient with a customized treatment plan. For patients with tinnitus, the first goal is to determine if the treatment is creating a change in tinnitus. Any change in frequency or intensity, including a temporary increase in symptoms, is a sign that mechanical factors may be contributing to the symptoms and improves the patient’s prognosis. The ultimate goal is to eliminate the tinnitus and many patients have reported elimination or considerably reduced ringing in their ears.
Your physical therapist will evaluate and reevaluate throughout your treatment course and incorporate different treatment options based on response to prior treatments. We know what has worked for many of other patients and will do everything in our power to help you reduce and even try to eliminate your tinnitus.
