Easing the Buzz: How Massage Therapy Helps with Somatosensory Tinnitus

🤔 What is Somatosensory Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is often described as ringing, buzzing, or humming in the ears. While many people assume it’s only related to hearing loss or damage to the inner ear, there’s another type called somatosensory tinnitus.

This form is linked not to the ears themselves, but to the muscles, joints, and nerves of the head, neck, and jaw. Tight muscles (such as the masseter or sternocleidomastoid), poor posture, or temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD/TMJD) can alter the sensory signals traveling between the neck/jaw and the auditory system. These altered signals may trigger or worsen tinnitus symptoms.

In other words: what happens in your neck and jaw can change how your ears perceive sound.

✋ The Role of Massage Therapy

At From the Neck Up, treatments are tailored to each individual. Sessions may include:

• External and intra-oral massage of the jaw muscles.

• Neck and shoulder release work.

• Education on self-care strategies for posture, stress reduction, and jaw relaxation.

Our goal isn’t just temporary relief—we aim to address the muscular and neurological contributors to somatosensory tinnitus, helping patients feel more in control of their symptoms.

💡 When to Consider Treatment at FTNU

• Head pain that worsens with chewing or talking

• Headaches starting near the temples or jaw

• Clicking, popping, or locking of the jaw

• Tenderness in the jaw, face, or temples

• Neck and shoulder muscle tightness

✋ When to Consider Treatment at FTNU

Patients may benefit from massage therapy if they report:

• Tinnitus that changes with jaw movement, neck rotation, or posture.

• Co-existing jaw pain, clenching, or TMJ clicking/popping.

• Chronic neck stiffness or headaches alongside tinnitus.