Interesting post I read on another forum:
This is not medical advice. It is anecdotal information.
When I was a licensed massage therapist, I found that many of my patients who were suffering from tinnitus also had muscle spasms in their sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCM), By gently working these muscles, many of them experienced some degree of relief. For some, the relief was long lasting. For others merely palliative, but when it's your palliation, even an hour can seem like a Godsend.
The SCM makes a long, narrow triangle shape from the corner of the top of the sternum near the notch, out along the upper edge of the clavicle, and then sweeps up to the mastoid process, the round, lumpy bone behind the ear. If a person lies down, face up, placing the opposite hand on the neck below the jaw area, and begins to lift their head toward the ceiling, the SCM will contract like a cord under the fingers.
This is one of the muscles that keeps your head hooked on! So if you are often about to lose your head, you may have SCM troubles. Seriously, if you spend a lot of time with the phone cradled to your ear by one shoulder or any other similar activities, your SCM can develop problems. If you strain and lift heavy loads improperly, pulling with your neck and shoulders, you could also have SCM trouble. Carrying heavy loads, purses, or children can also cause SCM strain.
This muscle is often very tender in most people. Gentle massage, rolling, or squeezing between the fingers can help relieve the spasms. Patients often felt relief when gentle pressure massage was applied to the SCM attachment sites along the notch in the "breast bone", along the top edge of the clavicle, and on the mastoid process behind the ear. It is critical to apply the pressure very gently as a chronically spastic or inflamed SCM can be incredibly sensitive to pressure. Both sides should be treated equally.
During treatment, some patients reported an increase in the loudness of the ringing, but this was immediately lessened when treatment stopped. Be careful if you have long fingernails! This is a job for the stubbynailed among us. Many of my patients learned to do the procedure themselves and would do it at home 2 - 3 times per day for about 10 minutes per session. Some got long term relief, others got some short term help, but if it is driving you crazy, then short term is better than no term! HTH
Please consult a physician or other appropriate professional before taking advice from some person you have never met from the internet. I could be a real bean head!
