Tinnitus

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is when a person experiences a sound, most commonly that of high-pitched ringing noise, in one or both ears. It is most commonly caused by loud noise exposure, hearing loss, or medication, however less commonly can be caused by your TMJ (the jaw joint). The TMJ and associated muscles have a close relationship with your ear. Dysfunction within these muscles can pull on particular parts of your ear and contribute to the sensation of tinnitus. A good indication that your condition might be affected by your neck or jaw is if you can change your symptoms with neck or jaw movements e.g when you clench your teeth you can increase the pitch of the sound. Tinnitus should always be assessed by a medical specialist such as an ENT. Often patients are referred to our clinic following a review from their ENT or hearing specialist.

How can Queensland TMJ & Headache Centre help?

At the Queensland TMJ & Headache Centre, we are experts in the treatment of TMJ related conditions. We will perform a thorough assessment of your TMJ and surrounding musculature to see if there is any dysfunction with your TMJ and neck that could be placing an increased load on your ear. Treatment will then involve a combination of TMJ and neck muscle release, muscle strengthening, and motor relearning to reduce any strain on your ear from these structures.