Sudden Hearing Loss And Chiropratic Care
Sudden hearing loss is a little understood disorder and there are many possible causes, but at least three of them could be related to the upper region of the spine, known as the cervical spine.
The cervical spine makes up the first 7 vertebrae, which enclose and protect the soft nerve tissue that comprises the inner spinal cord, like a bony shield. This portion of the spine begins right above the shoulder blades and terminates right at the skull, where it connects and supports. Many different systems compose this part of the spine, including muscles, bones, ligaments, and joints. Each of these structural systems also have nerves running through them, providing muscular control and the ability to perceive sensations to the skull and arms.
This complexity means that if any injury or trauma occurs to the cervical spine, many difficult to analyze symptoms can begin to occur, one of which can be sudden hearing loss.
Problems with the cervical spine or often grouped under the umbrella term, “cervical syndrome”, which can relate to hearing problems in three different ways. First, there can be a vascular problem that results from a narrowing of the vertebral arteries carrying blood up into the head. If this blood flow is compromised, sudden hearing loss may result. Second there can be neural cervical spine problems, which relate to irritation of the sympathetic nervous system that also has an effect on the inner workings of the ears. Finally a combination of both arterial and neural can be the problem causing hearing loss symptoms.
From a chiropractic perspective, these vascular and neural problems that lead to sudden hearing loss could all be the results of misalignments in the vertebrae of the cervical spine. A recent study sought out to determine if sudden hearing loss from cervical syndrome could be effectively treated by chiropractic adjustments to the spine.
The study divided 90 patients with sudden hearing loss problems into two groups, one which was treated pharmacologically with IV trips of medication, and another that received the same medication but was also treated with chiropractic care. The chiropractic care included local muscles loosening, attacking point, and bilateral pulling of the atlanton-axial joint. By the end of the treatment period the group receiving chiropractic care showed remarkably better improvement of symptoms for their sudden hearing loss.
The results show that chiropractic therapy is clearly an effective supplementary treatment for cervical spine disorder and resulting sudden hearing loss.