Tinnitus & Myofascial Pain
Somatic TinnitusMedical literature indicates that between 36% to 43% cases of tinnitus are caused by chronic tightness of the neck and face muscles. This type of tinnitus is called somatic tinnitus or somatosensory tinnitus and is classified as a form of myofascial pain disorder.
The pictures below depict referral patterns from trigger points in some of the muscles which are known to contribute to or cause a variety of ear symptoms, such as tinnitus, earache, sensation of stuffiness / fullness in the ear, etc.
The black x sign indicates a trigger point within a muscle and areas marked in red illustrate where that trigger point sends the referred pain:
From left to right : deep fibers of masseter, lateral pterygoid, medial pterygoid, clavicular division of sternocleidomastoid.
The black x sign indicates a trigger point within a muscle and areas marked in red illustrate where that trigger point sends the referred pain.