Received 4 September 2007; received in revised form 14 December 2007; accepted 28 December 2007.
Objective
Present experience in diagnosis and treatment for referred otalgia secondary to cervical spine degenerative disease (CSDD).
Study Design
A retrospective study of 123 patients with ear pain.
Subjects and Methods
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 (CSPT) was assessed.
Results
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 CSDD (88%). CSPT in those documented patients all reported subjective pain relief.
Conclusion
As the population in America ages, CSDD 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 CSDD-referred otalgia, and this pain can be alleviated with CSPT.
aLoyola University Medical Center, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Maywood, IL
bLoyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
cCenter for Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY.
Corresponding author: John P. Leonetti, MD, Loyola University Medical Center, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2160 S. First Ave, Maguire Building, Maywood, IL 60153.
ABSTRACT