The International Tinnitus Journal

Cervical Nerve Projections to the Auditory Pathway in Tinnitus

Introduction: Cervical spinal nerves project to the auditory system and take part in the pathology of tinnitus.

Objectives: The intention of our research was to estimate the outcome of treatment of C6 and C7 to lessen tinnitus intensity and to find criteria for a long-term success.

Design: Subjects were 78 tinnitus patients who were treated with infiltration of the sixth and seventh cervical nerve. Clinical data form these patients were reviewed retrospectively. An independent perceiver evaluated the long-term effect of the therapy by telephone interview.

Results: In a cohort of tinnitus patients, 18% had less tinnitus after treatment of C6 and C7. The majority of the patients announced a moderate easing of their tinnitus. At 2,5 months, half of the patients with a positive response still had benefit. The combination of hearing loss at 8 kHz and the highness of the intervertebral disc at C4-C5 forecasted a beneficial result of therapy of C6 and C7 with a longer period of relief.

Conclusions: Treating afferent cervical nerves can lessen tinnitus. Therapy of C6 and C7 caused less tinnitus for 18% of the tinnitus patients. Especially patients with no hearing loss at 8 kHz and no disc degeneration at C4-C5 forecasted a beneficial result of therapy of C6 and C7 on tinnitus with a longer period of relief.