Ear pain referred from neck
Cervical spine causes for referred otalgia
From: Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2008 Apr;138(4):479-85
Present experience in diagnosis and treatment for referred otalgia secondary to cervical spine degenerative disease.
A study of 123 patients with ear pain. All patients had a normal otologic examination and diagnosed with unspecified otalgia. The causes for referred otalgia were categorized into Group I: otalgia from non-cervical spine disease (n = 72), and Group II: cervical spine disease-referred otalgia (n = 51). Pain relief following cervical spine physical therapy was assessed.
The most common cause for referred otalgia in Group I was Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction (46%); most common cervical spine finding in Group II was cervical spine degenerative disease (88%). Cervical spine physical therapy in those documented patients all reported subjective pain relief.
As the population in America ages, cervical spine degenerative disease in the elderly will begin to emerge as a major etiologic source for referred otalgia. With a targeted medical history and physical examination one can use directed studies to diagnose cervical spine degenerative disease-referred otalgia, and this pain can be alleviated with cervical spine physical therapy.
