Tinnitus Relief

Massage and Other Drug-Free Tactics for Ringing Ears

Nancy Hausauer, LMP
706 Sixth Avenue * Tacoma, WA 98405 * 253-686-1214
Massage, lymphatic massage, and energy healing serving Tacoma, Seattle,
Federal Way, Puyallup, Lakewood, Olympia, and the Puget Sound region

Tinnitus: Usually Harmless But Often Crazy-Making
Tinnitus--ringing or other "phantom" noises in the ears--is common and usually harmless--but it can drive people crazy. It can rob sufferers of sleep, concentration, and peace of mind. There's no one cause, and no one cure.

When to See Your Doctor
According to the Mayo Clinic, you should see your doctor about it if tinnitus appears after a cold and doesn't go away within a week. You should see your doctor as soon as possible if it appears suddenly, with no apparent cause, or if it comes along with hearing loss or dizziness.

What If Treatment from My Doctor Doesn't Help?
If your doctor can't help you, there are a number of other things you can try.

Can Massage Help?
Surprisingly, massage can help in some cases. There are four types of massage to try.

1. Trigger Point Therapy
   Trigger points are sensitive, hyper-tonic muscle "knots" that can be found in any muscle in the body and can cause a whole host of weird problems (in addition to their main effect of referring pain elsewhere in the muscle). Researchers have found that trigger points in the jaw and anterior neck can contribute to or cause ringing in the ears. Deactivating them with targeted trigger point massage may bring relief or at least lessen the symptoms.

2. Lymphatic Massage
   Gentle lymphatic massage (lymphatic drainage) to the neck, jaw, head, and ear are worth trying, especially if inflammation is playing a role in the problem.

3. Myofascial Massage
   Fascia is the connective tissue that's found everywhere in the body, including the face and ears. It can get tight and restricted. Myofascial massage to the big muscles in the front of the neck can help to loosen and relax the fascia of the inner ear.

4. General Swedish Massage to the Head, Neck, Jaw, and Chest
   Besides being generally relaxing and having an impact on the muscles and fascia of the face and ear, Swedish massage to specific neck and chest muscles can improve or resolve thoracic outlet syndrome, which is thought to be a cause in some cases of tinnitus. Thoracic outlet syndrome is simply tight muscles in certain neck and chest muscles that constrict nerves and blood vessels serving the arm and other areas.

If nothing else, massage helps you to relax, which at the very least makes irritants such as ear-ringing subjectively easier to bear. Not to mention that it's good for your overall health, and it's enjoyable!

All these massage techniques can be helpful in other minor ear problems as well, such as ear pressure issues and pain with airplane landings.

If you live in the Puget Sound region of Washington State (U.S.), I can provide these therapies for you.

Other Non-Medical Tactics to Try for Tinnitus Relief
Here are some other things you can try that won't hurt you and may help bring you relief from ringing ears:

• Manage stress: For many people stress makes tinnitus worse, or perhaps just makes them more sensitive to it. You can learn a number of effective ways to relax and manage stress here..
• Avoid alcoholic drinks: By dilating your blood vessels, it can worsen ear ringing.
• Avoid irritants such as loud noises.
• Mask the noise: A fan, soft music, or a white noise machines can help cover up or distract you the noise in your ears.
• Acupressure: The acupoint K3 is reputed to help with ringing in the ears. It's located on your inside ankle, midway between the inside ankle bone and the Achilles tendon (the big tendon at the back of your ankle). Apply firm pressure with your thumb for one minute on each side.

What Causes Ringing Ears?
The exact cause of tinnitus is not known. However, there are a number of things that are known to trigger or worsen ringing of the ears. According to the Mayo Clinic and the American Tinnitus Association website, these include:

• Exposure to loud noises can damage and even destroy the hair cells in the inner ear, causing them to "leak" random electrical impulses to your brain.
• Physical trauma to the head an neck.
• Various medical conditions including hypo- or hyperthyroidism, Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, Meniere's disease, and thoracic outlet syndrome.
• Certain types of tumors
• Ear wax build-up
• Jaw misalignment
• Cardiovascular disease
• Conditions or injuries that affect your auditory nerves or the hearing center of your brain.
• Changes in ear bones
• Stress and depression
• Age-related hearing loss
• Certain medications