Everyone has, at some point in their life, heard that whistling, shushing, or humming sound after a concert, after listening to loud music, or even while sitting alone in a silent room. This is a temporary form of tinnitus, and its cause is quite obvious: loud noises are known to be aggressive to the human ear. But have you ever wondered if you could hear these same sounds due to neck pain or a stiff neck? You've had whiplash or some other neck injury, and suddenly you start hearing that humming in your ears and wonder if there's a connection. We're going to answer that question, but first, let's look at what a stiff neck is. What are its causes? What is tinnitus? How is it related to neck stiffness and neck pain? And can a stiff neck cause tinnitus? Finally, what are the common treatments to relieve the discomfort associated with tinnitus? Let's get started.
What is a stiff neck?
A stiff neck is generally characterized by difficulty initiating neck movement, which the affected person feels when trying to turn their head right, left, up, or down. It is most often accompanied by neck pain, headaches, and pain in the arm or shoulder. And to look over their shoulder or to the side, a person suffering from neck pain may sometimes have to rotate their entire body, not just their neck, to avoid the pain. Most people know the discomfort or pain caused by a stiff neck, whether it appeared during the day after significant exertion like carrying heavy furniture, or upon waking due to a poor sleeping position. In the majority of cases, neck pain and stiffness resolve naturally in a short time. But identifying the cause of this stiffness and how you manage it can influence recovery time, pain intensity, and the risk of recurrence.
Causes of a stiff neck
A stiff neck usually results from a soft tissue sprain or muscle strain. The levator scapulae muscle, in particular, is vulnerable to injury. It is located on the side and back of your neck. It connects the cervical spine to your shoulder. This muscle is controlled by the third and fourth cervical nerves (C3 and C4). The levator scapulae muscle can be overused in many common daily activities, such as:
A sudden impact that throws the head sideways, such as whiplash in a car accident or a sports injury.
Sleeping with the neck in a bad position.
Repeatedly turning the head from side to side during an activity like swimming.
Sitting with poor posture in front of a computer or smartphone for long periods. This is sometimes called "text neck" or smartphone neck.
Experiencing excessive anxiety or stress, which leads to tension in the neck.
Holding the neck in an uncomfortable position for long periods, for example by cradling your phone between your shoulder and neck.
If the symptoms of a stiff neck appear immediately, you can easily identify the cause: a fall during a sports activity, for example. However, if the stiffness occurs for no apparent reason, it is much more difficult to know its origin.
Less common causes of a stiff neck
Sometimes a stiff neck is due to an underlying disorder of your cervical spine, which provides movement and support for your neck while protecting the spinal cord. Here are some examples of cervical spine disorders that cause painful muscle spasms or contractions:
Cervical disc herniation
This disorder corresponds to the degradation of the protective outer layer of a cervical spine disc, where the inner part escapes, causing inflammation and compression of surrounding tissues.
Cervical degenerative disc disease
As your disc loses height and hydration over time, pressure increases on nearby nerve joints and on soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments. This process leads to stiffness and neck pain.
Cervical osteoarthritis
This is arthritic wear and tear of your cervical facet joints, located between the vertebrae. It most often occurs along with other degenerative symptoms such as spinal canal narrowing and anatomical changes like bone spurs. These conditions are not a complete list of the causes of a stiff neck: although rare, other origins exist, such as tumors and infections.
Symptoms of a stiff neck
The intensity of a stiff neck varies: from simple discomfort to very sharp, acute pain, with limited mobility. If you try to turn your stiff neck in a particular direction or to one side, the pain will be so severe that it will interrupt the movement. This reduction in cervical mobility has consequences for the patient's activity level. For example, if you cannot turn your head in the desired direction without experiencing intense pain, you will have to avoid driving until the symptoms disappear. Most people experience the discomfort or pain caused by a stiff neck, whether it appeared during the day after significant exertion like carrying heavy furniture, or upon waking due to a poor sleeping position.
What is the connection between a stiff neck and tinnitus?
Now that you know what a stiff neck is, what its causes and symptoms are, you might be wondering what it has to do with your tinnitus? The answer is simple. Tinnitus is a consequence of other underlying factors, not a disease in itself. That whistling, humming, or shushing you hear therefore has another origin. In other words, the simplest way to get rid of this sound is to correct the underlying cause. If you can identify the cause of your stiff neck and treat it, you will also resolve your tinnitus. That said, before we see how a stiff neck causes tinnitus, let's first understand why tinnitus occurs.
Why does tinnitus occur?
While tinnitus is caused by underlying conditions, it manifests due to the effect of these "underlying causes" on your ears. Here are some of them:
Ear obstruction: If your ear is blocked by excess earwax or by fluid accumulation, known as endolymphatic hydrops, tinnitus will appear.
Medication side effects: Many medications list tinnitus among their side effects; the most common are certain anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, aspirin, quinine, and antidepressants.
Deterioration: If parts of your inner ear or cochlea begin to deteriorate, this can cause a whistling or humming sound.
Conditions: Certain conditions such as high blood pressure, anemia, allergies, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular problems, and thyroid disorders can lead to tinnitus. In addition, some vestibular conditions like Meniere's disease have tinnitus as a primary symptom.
What is the connection between these ear conditions responsible for tinnitus and your neck?
A vertebra in your neck, located below the skull, is called C1 or atlas. This bone is located almost exactly between the jaw joints and the ears; anything in this area of the body can therefore be affected by a slight misalignment. This is why ear and jaw problems often go hand in hand, and why patients who suffer from them also have neck pain. Let's take a closer look at how the above conditions are related to your neck.
A misaligned atlas
A misaligned atlas can affect the structures of your ear. The Eustachian tubes, in particular, play an essential role. They drain excess fluid from your ears and allow this drainage to happen safely. But if their function is hindered, fluid can accumulate, leading to tinnitus. Even if your ear whistling is due to an obstruction, the cause can still be a stiff neck.
Medications
Anti-inflammatory drugs or aspirin may be prescribed for chronic neck pain. And these medications can be responsible for tinnitus. Thus, if your neck pain is relieved, these medications may no longer be necessary, which ends the tinnitus. The link is as follows: the treatment of neck pain causes tinnitus, and once the neck pain is relieved, you no longer need to take these medications, which stops the tinnitus symptoms.
Hypertension
High blood pressure is a known cause of tinnitus, and upper cervical chiropractic care can help lower it, showing a link between this condition and your neck. In other words, relieving neck tension can resolve this particular type of tinnitus related to high blood pressure.
Meniere's disease
Meniere's disease, a common underlying cause of tinnitus, can be treated by correcting problems in the upper cervical spine. In a study of 139 Meniere's disease patients, symptoms were significantly improved by upper cervical chiropractic in all but 3 participants. This further demonstrates the link between the underlying cause of tinnitus and the neck. If the underlying cause of tinnitus can be corrected by addressing the neck, then there is indeed a link.
Neck and head trauma
Neck and head trauma are generally accompanied by a misalignment of the upper cervical spine. It is therefore logical to correct this misalignment to relieve the symptoms caused by the injury. And tinnitus is just one of many symptoms that appear after whiplash, concussion, or any other neck or head trauma. Other symptoms include vertigo, dizziness, neck pain, headaches, migraines, and many more.
Treatments for tinnitus related to a stiff neck
While there is no standard treatment for tinnitus, especially because it is due to an underlying condition, there are many ways to relieve the sounds you perceive due to a stiff neck by treating the root cause. Here are some of them:
Chiropractic care
Given what we have seen so far in this article, it is clear that people suffering from tinnitus should have their upper cervical spine, i.e., the top of the neck, examined to find the cause of their tinnitus. If an atlas misalignment is found, it may be the main underlying cause of the whistling, shushing, or humming you are trying to get rid of. That said, what does upper cervical chiropractic treatment involve?
It focuses on the first two vertebrae of the spine.
It uses modern diagnostic imaging techniques capable of precisely locating misalignments to the hundredth of a degree. This precision allows the practitioner to offer adapted adjustments and allows for low-intensity corrections, without your spine being cracked, forced, or twisted.
Getting a massage
A massage can relieve tinnitus symptoms in several ways. It reduces stress, which is responsible for some types of tinnitus and its underlying causes. It can also correct posture problems that may indirectly cause tinnitus. Muscle tension also amplifies symptoms: by getting a massage, you release contracted muscles and correct misalignments of the jaw, head, and neck that put the inner ear under tension.
How does an anti-tinnitus massage work?
During the massage, specific points around your neck are targeted to relieve tinnitus symptoms. For example, grasping the bottom of the earlobe and gently pulling it upward and then sideways is an effective maneuver. Stretching your ears this way helps reduce fluid accumulation in the inner ear, which can relieve those annoying hums, shushes, and whistles. Anti-tinnitus massage also targets the mastoid process, the bony part of the skull just behind the ear. This area (the mastoid process) is connected to many muscles that surround the ear and neck. A gentle Swedish massage applied to the mastoid process helps relieve muscle tension in the neck and ear and allows the neck to regain its proper alignment. Next comes the masseter muscle, which connects the jaw to the skull and is located at the maxillary bone, very close to your earlobe. This muscle is the strongest in the human body in proportion to its size. If it is too contracted, it will lead to misalignment and whistling in the ears. Any massage intended to relieve tinnitus will therefore also target the masseter.
What to do and what not to do for a stiff neck
Most of the time, one or two days of rest are enough to allow your neck problems to resolve. But in case of intense pain, you can use an over-the-counter medication, try thermotherapy, or simply apply ice to the painful area. However, wearing a neck brace to immobilize a stiff neck is not recommended. It is better, as much as possible, to maintain your usual activities, especially during the first two days. That said, if your stiff neck does not improve after a week, it is best to consult a doctor. And regardless of its duration, if other symptoms accompany your stiff neck and tinnitus, such as nausea, vomiting, fever, or headaches, consult a healthcare professional immediately.
Conclusion Can a stiff neck and neck pain cause tinnitus? The answer is yes. The human body is so interconnected that an injury to your neck, whatever its origin, can end up affecting your ears and causing those irritating humming, shushing, and whistling sounds. While there is no specific treatment for tinnitus, making the sound disappear involves correcting the underlying problems, in this case a stiff neck or neck pain. And there are many ways to treat a stiff neck and neck pain: massage, chiropractic care, or medication. But most often, one or two days of rest will be enough to get rid of that stiffness or pain.
