What is tinnitus?
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) describes tinnitus as a ringing in the ears. It can also sound like a roaring, clicking, hissing, or buzzing, in one or both ears. The noise may come and go.
NIDCD, an arm of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), estimates that in the past year approximately 10 percent of the U.S. adult population has experienced tinnitus lasting at least five minutes. This equates to nearly 25 million Americans.
Lots of causes, triggers
NIDCD says tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom. There can be many reasons that a person can have tinnitus. Some triggers they list are:
noise-induced hearing loss
ear and sinus infections
diseases of the heart or blood vessels
Meniere’s disease
various medications, both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC)
brain tumors
hormonal changes in women
thyroid abnormalities
jaw and neck musculoskeletal tension
Is there a COVID long-haul link?
In a recent study conducted by The University of Manchester and Manchester Biomedical Research Centre that was published in the International Journal of Audiology, scientists estimated that 7.6% of people infected with COVID-19 experienced hearing loss, 14.8% suffered from tinnitus and 7.2% reported vertigo. Clevelend Clinic reports more on the COVID long-haulers, as the population is called who are having long term effects.
Why is this important to a massage therapist?
As a structural massage therapist I look for trigger points in muscles referring pains or irritations while also acknowledging that there are many other reasons for tinnitus. Dr. Janet Travell has noted that trigger points in the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and masseter muscles can have trigger points that refer ringing in the ears. Other ear sensations can be itching, burning, or muffled. I find and have been taught that tinnitus from trigger points will more commonly show up on one one side at a time, come and go, and has been relatively short term.
Posture should also be considered when thinking of more reasons for tinnitus. When a person has forward head posture, the soft tissue (muscles, fascia, ligaments, etc) may pull and strain on the ear structures. If a person also has tight muscles of the TMJ complex, the condyle of the mandible could again impact the ear structures. This is within a trained massage therapist’s scope of practice.
How do I treat the muscular referred tinnitus?
SCM muscle trigger points
It is a very slow process to see if muscles are the only cause of tinnitus. But along the way, I hope to bring down other symptoms a client is also having, such as jaw pain, neck stiffness or headaches. My massage technique is based in neuromuscular massage or trigger point massage. There will be a lot of neck and jaw treatment and identifying poor habits or posture to change. Clenching and grinding of the jaw are important to address. Self-massage or stretching will be required on the client’s part for maintenance.
I look for red flags that might show clients have an airway issue. Depending on what I see I might suggest a visit to a person who practices myofunctional therapy, an ENT, or your doctor.
You can start this process at home
Sign up for a free training video at the bottom of this page or at HelpHeadPain.com to start learning self-massage and stretching for the masseter muscle. My full online video course, Self Help to Relieve Head, Neck & Jaw Pain, will teach you the stretching, massage, posture, habit changes & airway knowledge you need to address your muscular tinnitus, jaw pain or headaches. For $80 it is less than the cost of one office visit.