Chronic cervicogenic tinnitus rapidly resolved by intermittent use of cervical collar

Introduction:Cervicogenic tinnitus is a not generally accepted pathogenetic subtype, which might be subsumed under the concept of somatosensory tinnitus. After the personal experience of therapy resistant tinnitus in context with a cervical pain syndrome (CS) and successful add-on treatment with ce...

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Main Authors: Karl eBechter, Gerhard eHamann, Martin eWieland
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2016-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00043/full
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author Karl eBechter
Gerhard eHamann
Martin eWieland
author_facet Karl eBechter
Gerhard eHamann
Martin eWieland
author_sort Karl eBechter
collection DOAJ
description Introduction:Cervicogenic tinnitus is a not generally accepted pathogenetic subtype, which might be subsumed under the concept of somatosensory tinnitus. After the personal experience of therapy resistant tinnitus in context with a cervical pain syndrome (CS) and successful add-on treatment with cervical collar (CC), the idea was persued in several individual treatments in patients.Patients and Methods:Reporting one particular case with chronic tinnitus considered untreatable, but rapidly improved with CC use. Thereafter tinnitus was experimentally replicated by head inclination, the respective neck-head angles and cerebral blood flow measured. Results:Chronic subjective tinnitus of a 20 years duration completely disappeared within 4 weeks with an intermittent short time application of CC. Thereafter, tinnitus was liberately again induced by head inclination, set on with anterior tilt of 14°, reaching maximum strength by 23°. Tinnitus stopped with return to neutral head position. Blood flow in the vertebral arteries on both sides was unchanged during head inclination with prevalent tinnitus, however blood flow was physiologically reduced with head rotation though not accompanied by tinnitus.Discussion:In a single case of chronic tinnitus, we found that treatment with CC rapidly led to full remission. Nevertheless, tinnitus could be resumed by constrained head postures. Experimental tinnitus replication by inclination points to an underscored role of upper posterior cervical muscle groups, matching with animal experiments, working in concert with other triggers including psychological factors. Blood flow reduction in vertebral arteries was unrelated to tinnitus.
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spelling doaj.art-a774a4c7ad6c4000afb2e7a2fed30b892022-12-21T19:51:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402016-03-01710.3389/fpsyt.2016.00043175860Chronic cervicogenic tinnitus rapidly resolved by intermittent use of cervical collarKarl eBechter0Gerhard eHamann1Martin eWieland2Ulm UniversityBKH GünzburgHKM HandelsKontorMeindl GmbH GundelfingenIntroduction:Cervicogenic tinnitus is a not generally accepted pathogenetic subtype, which might be subsumed under the concept of somatosensory tinnitus. After the personal experience of therapy resistant tinnitus in context with a cervical pain syndrome (CS) and successful add-on treatment with cervical collar (CC), the idea was persued in several individual treatments in patients.Patients and Methods:Reporting one particular case with chronic tinnitus considered untreatable, but rapidly improved with CC use. Thereafter tinnitus was experimentally replicated by head inclination, the respective neck-head angles and cerebral blood flow measured. Results:Chronic subjective tinnitus of a 20 years duration completely disappeared within 4 weeks with an intermittent short time application of CC. Thereafter, tinnitus was liberately again induced by head inclination, set on with anterior tilt of 14°, reaching maximum strength by 23°. Tinnitus stopped with return to neutral head position. Blood flow in the vertebral arteries on both sides was unchanged during head inclination with prevalent tinnitus, however blood flow was physiologically reduced with head rotation though not accompanied by tinnitus.Discussion:In a single case of chronic tinnitus, we found that treatment with CC rapidly led to full remission. Nevertheless, tinnitus could be resumed by constrained head postures. Experimental tinnitus replication by inclination points to an underscored role of upper posterior cervical muscle groups, matching with animal experiments, working in concert with other triggers including psychological factors. Blood flow reduction in vertebral arteries was unrelated to tinnitus.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00043/fullTinnitus treatmentCervicogenic HeadacheCervical collarcervicogenic tinnitustinnitus mechanisms
spellingShingle Karl eBechter
Gerhard eHamann
Martin eWieland
Chronic cervicogenic tinnitus rapidly resolved by intermittent use of cervical collar
Frontiers in Psychiatry
Tinnitus treatment
Cervicogenic Headache
Cervical collar
cervicogenic tinnitus
tinnitus mechanisms
title Chronic cervicogenic tinnitus rapidly resolved by intermittent use of cervical collar
title_full Chronic cervicogenic tinnitus rapidly resolved by intermittent use of cervical collar
title_fullStr Chronic cervicogenic tinnitus rapidly resolved by intermittent use of cervical collar
title_full_unstemmed Chronic cervicogenic tinnitus rapidly resolved by intermittent use of cervical collar
title_short Chronic cervicogenic tinnitus rapidly resolved by intermittent use of cervical collar
title_sort chronic cervicogenic tinnitus rapidly resolved by intermittent use of cervical collar
topic Tinnitus treatment
Cervicogenic Headache
Cervical collar
cervicogenic tinnitus
tinnitus mechanisms
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00043/full
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AT gerhardehamann chroniccervicogenictinnitusrapidlyresolvedbyintermittentuseofcervicalcollar
AT martinewieland chroniccervicogenictinnitusrapidlyresolvedbyintermittentuseofcervicalcollar