Question
QUESTION: My neck hurt whenever I cough or turn it. Can you explain why I am in so much pain the pain in my ear is constant. I can hardly touch my neck without feeling pain the pain is in my right ear and that same of my neck.the muscle in my neck is very painful from my ear to my neck hurt why

ANSWER: Dear Marcia,

Answering this question is very difficult, because there are many causes of neck pain and ear pain.

I am a little bit concerned for you.  Neck pain is bad enough, alone, but since it is also affecting your ear, I am a bit more worried.  Neck pain can be the result of serious infections. This is rare, but it can occur.  There is a condition called meningitis. It is an infection of the brain and spinal chord, and since these are nerve tissues, it could cause you some ear symptoms as well.

This is what you need to do , Marcia....

Get yourself into to see an MD right away. Have some testing done to make sure that you are healthy. If the tests are all negative, then thank the doctor, and go and see a chiropractor.  A medical doctor will be the best one to help you to know if this is a serious condition, and the chiropractor is the best one to help you with the neck pain issue once it is determined that the neck and ear pain is not something that is infectious or related to a lesion of the brain or nerves.

Odds are, this is a neck mechanical problem, and that a chiropractor can help... but don't just play the odds. Play this one safe. See your MD. Call today.

I hope that this helps you Marcia. Good luck with your neck and ear pain.

Keith E Biggs, Dc
http://www.eastmesachiropractor
Mesa, AZ Chiropractor
http://www.biggschiropractic.blogspot.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: MRI on the back  shows degenerative disc desease, x ray on_ cervical spine normal, neck and ear still hurt. Can denerative desease cause these pain.My Dr. Thinks so. She said pain in d ear is from d nerve there is no ear infection.I am starting to have bad headaches especially when I wake in d morning.can what I am going thro be depression. I had to quit my job on d 28 Feb 2011 because of d pain . I was with this job since August  2003 do I need to see  an ENT specialist (DR)

Answer
Dear Marcia,

I assume that when you say that the "MRI on the back", you mean that the MRI of the neck. Is that correct?  If the MRI of the neck shows degenerative disc disease, this certainly could be the cause of your neck pain and your ear pain.  

Here is one concern that I have... the neck does not have a nerve that travels to the ear. The nerves to the ear are cranial nerves, meaning that they are contained within the skull itself, and never pass through the spine.  However, your neck degenerative changes could be causing a referral of pain through other mechanisms other than nerve up to the ear region.

The only way to see the nerves that go to the ear are through MRI studies of the head.  

Have you lost any hearing through all of this?  If you have, that is a warning sign.

It is a good idea to see an EENT specialist. They can make sure that there is no disease of the ears and the nerves to the ears.

Headaches are a very common problem associated with degenerative arthritic conditions of the neck.

If I were you, my next steps would be these:

1) Find a chiropractor. This all could be related to your neck problems.  Now that your MD is involved and ruling out serious pathology, the chiropractor is your next step.
2) Ask for a referral to an EENT MD. Make sure that there is nothing wrong with your ears. You could also consider a neurologist, who will also be able to rule out any nerve issues within the skull.

Good Luck,

Keith Biggs, DC
http://www.eastmesachiropractor.com
AZ Chiropractor