paintitbetter

As some of you may know, I have discovered my TMJD to be a major contributing factor to my lifelong ear problems. I have been in splint therapy for approximately three years, and have resolved some of my symptoms including changing the pitch and lowering my tinnitus. I sometimes experience months of relatively quiet tinnitus and minimal ear fullness, only to experience flare ups that come back with tinnitus /fullness spikes that can last for months at a time.

I recently had a second MRI of my TMJ's and it showed one disc had been recaptured and one is still slightly displaced. My current doctor thinks my TM discs are no longer causing my ear symptoms, and it is his opinion that my problem is cervical.

I am now currently working with a physical therapist that is a cervical specialist. He is kind of an gentler kind of chiropractor that performs adjustments and also works with your musculature. I have seen him for two sessions. The first was just an evaluation, and the second time he gave me an adjustment that has made me sore as hell, and actually aggravated my symptoms a little, but he changed the fullness that I had in my right ear for over the last six years. I think I am on the right path, although my tinnitus is a little louder, the fullness improved in an instant with a pop. It has since come back a little, but not as bad. If I had to choose which symptom I would want improved, I would have to say the fullness.

Can Your neck or TMJ be effecting your tinnitus ? Try this. Put your shoulders back with your head up, and holding your head straight with perfect posture, slowly move your head from side to side. Do you feel any tension in your ears ? any snaps or pops in your neck ? I have a rumbling sound in my ears when I do this, and since working with this guy, it has lessened along with my ear fullness.

Only time will tell, if I will be able to resolve this any further. Hope this helps someone out there.

Happy Easter to all
Mark

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Mark