Tinnitus & Tension Mysositis Syndrome

The Link

By Mari J. Dionne, CHHP

Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner of Natural Healing

Visit: www.thecaptainslady.com

Email: MariJDionne@aol.com

Tension Myositis Syndrome & Tinnitus: The Link, by Mari J. Dionne, CHHP. Copyright, 2010. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into retrieval systems, or
transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise),
without the written permission of the copyright owner. Artwork on Cover: Cover of Human Anatomy
coloring Book by Margaret Matt, 1982.
Meet Ms. Musclehead!

Ms. Musclehead is obviously color-coded. Below are the names of Ms.

Musclehead's muscles (according to their colors) and the symptoms that can arise from
tension in those muscles. I shall work from bottom to top, heading toward the ear, with
some of the more common shoulder, neck and jaw muscles, which I have highlighted for
you. Other muscles are mentioned to help you determine which muscles might be of
bother to you.

Yellow Orange - The Trapezius muscle (far right, bottom) runs from the top of your
shoulder to the bottom of your neck and teams up with the Sternocleidomastoideus
muscle (muscles on the side of the neck). Upper Trapezius muscle tension causes
onesided headaches up one side of the head, behind the eye, across the side and front of
the head, and the jaw. Neck muscles often cause head and face pain, but not necessarily
neck pain. This is because their trigger points most often refer pain to other areas.

Yellow Orange - The Sternocleidomastoideus muscle runs up the side of Ms.

Musclehead's neck. The Sternocleidomastoideus muscle causes postural dizziness,
imbalance, space perception and vestibular disturbance, tearing of the eye(s), reddening
of the conjunctiva, and can affect your hearing. The source of the sensory supply of this
muscle are the C-2 and C3 nerve roots. Tension here can cause disturbed proprioceptive
information to the brain.

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Behind the large Sternocleidomastoideus muscle (you can't see them) are the
Semispinales Capitis and Semispinales Cervicis muscles (a the lower side of the neck)
and the Splenii muscles (under the ear at the upper side of the neck). Tension in the
Semispinales Capitis and Semispinales Cervicis muscles cause pain, numbness, tingling
and burning of the scalp and the back of the head, even without any sign of a nerve being
pinched. The Splenii muscles are the ones that are the most responsible for stiff neck and
problems rotating your neck. They also refer pain to the face and head muscles.

The Levator Scapulae (another muscle you cannot see) runs up behind the
Sternocleidomast muscle and crosses over the Tensor Tympani muscle in the inner ear. If
this muscle is tense, it may have impact on the Tympani. You will see why this
information is important in the next section.

I'll go even further to tell you that under the Semispinales muscles are the Suboccipital
muscles which help the head tilt, flex, extend and rotate. They tense up very easily when
we keep our skulls in a head forward position too often, have one leg shorter than the
other, or have pelvic asymmetries.

Chronic head forward posture (slouching) involves the neck and leads to masticatory
muscle imbalance, which is, basically, TMJ, now called CMD (Craniomandibular
Dysfunction). This sounds like a mouthful, but it simply means that bad posture can
cause muscle imbalance, which can lead to Tinnitus. TMJ (or CMD) can cause headache,
throat pain, dizziness, deafness and other hearing impairment, Tinnitus, a sensation of
fullness in the ear (which sometimes extends to the side and back of the head)
and vertigo. All of these symptoms are caused by muscle shortening, impaired muscle
functioning and trigger points. Anytime TMS or MPS is involved muscles are suffering
from oxygen deprivation, which is called ischemia. Ischemia causes pain and contraction.

Red - This muscle, located in front of the ear and rounding down under the jaw, is the
Masseter muscle. The Masseter and the Sternocleidomastoideus work together like best
friends. The Masseter muscle is the one most highly responsible for Tinnitus.

Purple - This is the Temporalis muscle. The Temporalis and the Masseter muscles work
together to help Ms. Musclehead chew. This muscle can cause temporal headache (you
know that throbbing pain you get in your temple?), pain in the upper dentures
and premature tooth contact. Mouth breathing, gum chewing, uneven bite, chewing
constantly using teeth on just one side of the mouth, and constant Cervical (neck) traction
can irritate this muscle.

The Lateral Pterygoid and the Medial Pterygoid arising form the angle of the jaw can
cause pain in the mouth, tongue, pharynx, hard palate, and the region they located (jaw).
These two can cause a feeling of ear stuffiness.

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There are many muscles in the face, jaw, head, and neck that help us to chew, move our
jaws from side to side, up and down, and turn our heads in every direction. They are all
interrelated. If tension arises in even one, muscle imbalances can occur.

What kinds of things cause masticatory muscle imbalance, you ask?

Grinding your teeth at night, clenching your teeth, playing with your teeth with your
tongue, chewing the insides of your cheeks, chewing things that are hard like nuts and
ice, teeth that are not properly aligned (occlusal disharmony), teeth that do not meet
properly, Folic Acid deficiency (causes restlessness of the chewing muscles), dental
procedures that overstretch the muscles, muscle tension (trigger points) due to stress
(especially in the Trapezius, Sternocleidomastoideus, and the Masseter muscles), stress,
disease or injury to the cervical (neck) region of the spine.

How TMS & MPS Cause Tinnitus/Meniere's Syndromes?

The smallest muscle in the human body is the Strapedius muscle. This tiny muscle is
responsible for stabilizing the Stapes bone; just one of the three tiniest bones in the body,
also found in the middle ear, the others being the Malleus and the Ineus. They transmit
sounds form the air (outside your body) to the cochlea (the fluid filled labyrinth). If these
little bones were not there it would mean moderate to severe structural hearing loss.
These little bones move slightly when noise is heard. The extent to which they move is
controlled by the muscles attached to them, the Strapedius and the Tensor Tympani
(sometimes spelled Timpani).

If the Strapedius muscle is paralyzed or restricted in anyway, the result is a heightened

reaction of these little bones to sound. You end up with hyperacusis, where noise is
perceived louder than it really is.

The Strapedius and the Tensor Tympani are influenced by the Sternocleidomastoideus
and the Masseter muscles! Trigger points in the Masseter muscle (Ms. Musclehead's red
muscle) works with the Temporalis muscle (Ms. Musclehead's purple muscle), in causing
unilateral Tinnitus. Unilateral Tinnitus is ringing and/or other symptoms experienced in
one ear.

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Remember, the Strapedius muscle creates movement of the 3 tiny bones of the middle
ear. This tiny muscle depends on accurate information from the Sternocleidomastoideus
and the Masseter muscles. It needs to turn just so in order to allow the 3 tiny bones to
'hear' correctly. If muscle signal information is not accurate you end up with ear
symptoms, such as Tinnitus and Meniere's Syndromes.

Acoustic reflex (sometimes called reflex threshold) is an involuntary muscle contraction

that occurs in the middle ear in response to loud noise. It helps turn down the volume.
Some people can voluntarily contract this muscle. It makes a vibrational or rumbling
sound. When it activates at lower frequencies it is dysfunctional and if it does not react at
all, it can mean neural hearing loss. There is a syndrome called Tonic Tensor Tympani
Syndrome (TTTS). This occurs when the Tympani is constantly tightened and cannot
relax, which leads to a tightening of the ear drum. The symptoms are ear pain, fluttering
or vibrational sensations, and ear fullness. In people with Hyperacusis (mentioned 3
paragraphs up) there is increased activity of the reflex threshold caused by the
anticipation of loud sound. This is a 'startle response' mechanism, usually due to stress. I
mention this, as most people with Tinnitus and/or Meniere's Syndromes experience these
symptoms as well.

And, there you have it! Tension in the back, shoulders and neck, have a direct influence
on your ears and can cause symptoms of hearing impairment, Tinnitus and Meniere’s
Syndromes.

Note! If you experience bilateral Tinnitus (both ears) the cause may be something else or
you may have TMS and MPS on both sides of your body.

All-Natural Therapies for Tension Myositis and/or Myofacial Pain Syndrome

Do what you can to tone your muscles and relax your emotional nerves.

Invest in a massage, whether it is purchased or self-given.

Correct your posture.

Begin a TMS journal.

Use acupressure on trigger points. Trigger Point Therapy illustrations can be found in the
book, 'Why We Hurt' (below in references).

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Work on eliminating those things in life that cause you excess or undue emotional
stress. Having a tough time of it emotionally?

If you have been told by your doctors that there is nothing structurally wrong with you,
don't keep the fear alive of thinking there is something physically wrong with you. Stop
looking for a physical reason. Accept that your symptoms are emotion based and begin
loving yourself. Emotion based syndromes do not mean that you are crazy or that it's 'all
in your head'. It means that your emotions are manifesting themselves physically.
Sometimes, people are instantly cured once they realize this. Others feel half of their pain
may simply have been caused by the fear that something might have been wrong with
them physically.

Nutrition & Supplement Remedies for TMS & MPS

Eat enough protein every day, red meat included twice per week, so that your body has
what it needs to repair cells rather than tearing them down all of the time. This will give
you more cellular energy wellness. If you are vegetarian, you might consider taking an
Amino Acid supplement.

No Stimulants Allowed! If you are struggling with Tension Myositis and/or Myofascial
Pain Syndrome, stimulants, such as caffeine and nicotine are not welcome. They only
help to build up toxins in your muscles, which causes even more pain.

Take Magnesium along with your Calcium and Vitamin D. Vitamin B-12 and B-6 work
synergistically to repair and protect nerve sheaths.

Balance your pH. Highly Sensitive Women are extremely sensitive to what goes into
and onto their bodies. If you are suffering from Tension Myositis or Myofascial Pain
Syndromes, your diet, as well as unhealthy emotions are the problem. When it comes to
TMS & MPS, it is important that you reduce acid build up in your muscles by balancing
your pH level.

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TMS & MPS Book References

Myofascial Pain Syndrome (Trigger Point Therapy) References

The book, Why We Hurt? Your Self-Care Guide for Backaches, Headaches, Shoulder
Pain & Arthritis, by Greg Fors, MD, 2007. This is a great book!

Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual by S. Travell & D. Simon

Dr. Fors is the founder of FENIX Recovery Enterprises. His book teaches you how to
perform Trigger Point Therapy and illustrates exactly which trigger points are causing
your pain in specific areas of your body and what to do to eliminate it. An excellent guide
to self-therapy pain relief!!

Tension Myositis Syndrome References

A Pain Free Life: The 6 Week Cure for Chronic Pain: Without Surgery or Drugs by
Scott Brady, MD and William Proctor. This is really the only book you need to start with!

The books, The Divided Mind and The Mind/Body Prescription, by John E. Sarno, MD.

The Mind/Body Workbook, by John E. Sarno, MD.

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 n nvitation…

John William Waterhouse (1849-1917). ‘Lamia’.

You are invited to visit The Captains Lady, at www.thecaptainslady.com, for further information on how to
increase your personal, physical and environmental energy wellness!

May Love & Energy Be Yours!

-Mari

This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may
have regarding a medical condition. Information provided is for informational purposes and is not meant to
substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. You should not use
the information or products contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or
prescribing any medication. Information and statements regarding alternative health products have not all
been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure,
or prevent any disease.

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