Question
I had a sinus op five years ago and two/three weeks later I started to get this awful earache in my right ear.  I have had it now constantly for five years.  Some days its is constant and incredibly painful and other days its just like a pressured feeling waiting to expand into an earache.  Some days every now and then I don't have it.  I went back to the surgeon who did the op and he did a ct scan on my sinus and was I told there was nothing showing.  He thought it could be my neck and suggested I see a physio.  I then went to a physio and did physio - it didn't help.  I then went to see a muscular skeletal specialist who injected my c2 c4 (I think) vertebras in my neck and also he gave me a nerve block in my neck - neither helped.  I then went to see another ear nose and throat specialist who told me my ears were fine and that it wasn't my ear.  I then went to see another specialist who injected the nerve behind my ear - this too didn't work.  I have been away in Europe for 4 months and for the past two have had constant earache where sometimes it has been so bad I have ended up with a sinus migraine.  The only thing I find helps the pain is a heat pack.  I also have a pulling pain that kind of runs along my shoulder and down behind my shoulder blade and its like a pulling aching feeling.  I don't know if you can help me but I am pretty desperate to get rid of this earache.  Thanks Sally

Answer
Sally,
I do not know if I can help you either at this point but I am certainly willing to try.  So far, it just sounds to me like you may have been to the wrong doctors and this is why you have not gotten well.
Do you have any films that you could send to me to look at?  X-Rays, MRI, CT Scan?  I am mainly interested in looking at your Cervical Spine and the base of the skull.
That would be the best and most practical way to start so let's try this first.

Yours in Best Health,
Dr Arnone
Upper Cervical Specific Doctor
"Brainstem Specialist"