Irfan Tifeku
Fizioterapia Medical Clinic, Kosovo
Title: Osteopathic Manipulation and Physiotherapeutic Treatment in Somatic Tinnitus
Biography
Biography: Irfan Tifeku
Abstract
Tinnitus is the ringing in the ears heard by the patients in the absence of external sounds. The potential causes for the tinnitus could be the vascular, temporal bone dysfunction, inflammation in the ear, idiopathic, muscular spasms of the middle ear and palatal muscles, functional impairment of the eustachian tube, functional disorders of the jaw, and cervical spine.
In some individuals, tinnitus can be modulated by specific maneuvers of the temporomandibular joint, head and neck, eyes, and limbs. Neuro-plasticity seems to play a central role in this capacity for modulation, suggesting that abnormal interactions between the sensory modalities, sensorimotor systems, and neuro-cognitive and neuro-emotional networks may contribute to the development of somato-sensory tinnitus.
Current evidence supports a link between somatic disorders and higher modulation of tinnitus, especially in patients with a normal hearing threshold. Patients with tinnitus who have somatic disorders seems to have a higher chance of modulating their tinnitus with somatic maneuvers; consistent improvements in tinnitus symptoms have been observed in patients with temporomandibular joint disease following targeted therapy for temporomandibular disorders.
Tinnitus is a very common symptom that often causes distress and decreases the patient's quality of life. Apart from the well-known causes, tinnitus can in some cases be elicited by dysfunctions of the cervical spine or the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). To date however, it is unclear whether alleviation of these dysfunctions, by
treatment, also decreases the tinnitus complaints. Such physical therapy and osteopathic manipulation could be an interesting treatment option for patients that are now often left without treatment.