I get top-of-the-ear-cartilage hurt when I have a bad migraine. I get what I call “ice pick through the eye socket” headaches and it affects the whole right side of my head.
Yes and mine is random different days and different times and has been going on for a year now. It has been hurting all day today. I thought it was related to TMJ, but my TMJ is on the left side and only my right ear does this. I am never awakened by it. Tonight I thought I’d try the wooden clothespin method but it didn’t help either. :smack: It is so freakin painful! I have searched everywhere for info and have come up with anything from arthritis to a bunch of complicated stuff that does not apply to mine, like lesions, etc. No it’s not cancer either. No clue what it is but I know it HURTS like crap and I can’t get any relief. Does anyone use any methods that may help if you suffer with this junk? 
PLEASE tell me how to do the massage to make the pain GO AWAY 
Tried it. Total fail on me Nothing out of place to click back into, just excrutiating pain straight dope painful. Tylenol time.
I’m 39 and I’ve lived with this pain for over 20yrs. The pain so bad in the morning that im paralysed in bed for 10mins. If I try lifting my head the pain is just to much to take. I looked up Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis and TMJ and this is not what we have. I thought that maybe my ear was bent over on my pillow for along time but seems that’s not the case. I truly hope that some dr someday will have a diagnosis and pain relief for us all.
After Lyme disease and bartonella treatment, it WENT AWAY.
I’ve been having ear cartilage pain upon waking for a very long time-years. Same of most posters, painful to rub, gets better after waking/rubbing. No doc or ENT doc had answers said it was from sleeping on it. I’ve only had minor random aches and pains, mainly unexplained mid-back. Insomnia, often. After a series of stressful life events, I got really ill. Light/sound sensitive & more.
I suspected lyme disease but tested negative on the 1st tier testing, they never did somewhat better 2nd tier western blot test. Things got worse until my nerves couldn’t handle the slightest stressors. Finally got treated by a Lyme specialist. After improvements, my doc moved to Bartonella treatment, that’s when my cartilage pain stopped. There are many species of bart. Cats carry it, flies, ticks, etc. Some species don’t cause gross skin stuff (like internet photos) but prefer your tendons and cartilage. Lyme doc says bart can live in you along time with little issue but likely Lyme and stress released it causing more issues. Been off antibiotics now for two months, morning ear cartilage pain is BACK. Relapse of bart is typical. Treatment: doxycycline plus rifampin (because doxy also treats lyme) or levaquin. Levaquin has a warning of inflammation tendon rupture so when the bacterial load is high, it’n not a 1st choice. I had huge progress as a second line treatment, including long-time relief of random spine pain but it is also returning. Back to doc I go. Darn Bart!
One more thing, if you take doxycycline (or another antibiotic) and you have a strong reaction you think is allergic, check out Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction. I’ve heard people with Lyme/Bart symptoms say “I’m allergic to nearly all antibiotics”. There are allergic reactions TRUE - but then there’s a Herx! It’s real and well documented.
Sorry, new here posted twice accidentally.
Ear Cartilage Pain – unbelievable to me that this board has been active since 2002 and that we are all still suffering with this particular malady. Mine is on the back of my left ear and has been an on-again, off-again thing since a car accident in my late twenties with a bad whiplash. A nod to those of you that have noted that a move meant of the head, a cracking of the ear cartilage, a ‘painful’ massage of the cartilage, that sharp ‘crazy’ tug on an ear lobe that one man mentioned. All are what one wonderful chiropractic genius I was fortunate enough to run across, would have called adjustments.
Yes, your ear cartilage, along with your neck and spine, can all be adjusted. And for some of you, this may also help with the pain management of TMJ and other alignment issues (issues I have been fussing with for a while now!) – IF, and only IF, you can find the RIGHT sort of chiropractic practicioner.
That I do not know how to tell you to do … I only ever found the one man and he was a miracle worker … The trigger point massage in the web between the index and thumb may also be effective as it also has valid roots in nerve and alignment factors.
However, if you do have deeper underlying medical issues then of course the adjustments aren’t going to be enough. Sadly enough in my case a later car accident and a hairline spinal fracture caused some more permanent damage. So, my ear has been hurting off and on for 30 years. I kept thinking it was my glasses. Then my neck injury. Then, I thought what if I really have something worse. Something new … Some crazy disease … Then I found this forum …
Read all of your posts for the last 14 years and though for a while … A long while … Then started writing … Got some perspective and thought I’d share the story. And I am rubbing that webbed place between my thumb and index finger and I think just maybe the pain is a little, teeny bit less.
Maybe?
I have pain in the cartilage of just my left ear which has recurred at intervals of a few months for several years now. It may be associated with wearing glasses or hearing aids but only happens occasionally. The pain is not all that severe and disappears after a few hours. However it may be associated by a problem with my left frontal sinus which has been going on for years and infected for all that time. There has also been what looks like an infection on the root of one of my teeth also on the upper left side although the dentist says there is nothing wrong. I’ve also mentioned the pain to my GP but met with a shrug. It is interesting to see so many other people experiencing this mysterious pain.
Suffered with this condition for approx. 15 years. The outer edge of my right ear would become startlingly hot, and so painful that I could not touch it. Didn’t happen often, perhaps once a month or so. Couldn’t sleep, warm and cool compresses had no effect, painkillers were useless. Haven’t experienced any symptoms in almost 2years, here’s hoping I grew out of it. 
This is the only thread that I’ve found that knows what I am experiencing.
Like a previous poster, I also feel as if my ear has gone out of alignment or something. When this happens from sleeping on it, I try to adjust it by manipulating my ear. This last time however, I was cleaning my ear and it happened. I tried to manipulate my ear only this time it made it worse. The pain was intense for a day and a half and I took anti inflammatories and that worked. A week later I kind of pulled on my ear cartilage to test it out. What a mistake! I had the most excruciating pain, worse than before and felt like my ear was tearing right down into my ear drum. Took anti inflammatories and tried to sleep, but it was so painful and didn’t help. Went to the doctors twice, the first doctor said I had a sinus infection, even after I explained everything. The second day I went to a different doctor (same practice) to get a second opinion. He quickly disputed that diagnosis and said I had absolutely no signs of sinus, however, he didn’t entertain any of my explanation around my cartilage pain, but as he couldn’t see anything sign of anything, believed I had an infection. So for 3 days my ear ached so bad, it was painful to touch and burned if I did touch it or move it accidentally and I could not open my mouth properly because my jaw on that side hurt. Anti inflammatories were not working, pain meds only kind of relieved some of the pain. The only thing that felt slightly more comfortable was when I cupped my hand over my ear. As it’s winter here in Oz (Australia), I thought maybe the cold isn’t helping. So finally I got a heat bean bag, warmed it up in the microwave and gently lay down with my ear on it. I fell to sleep and when I woke up, the pain was GONE! I couldn’t believe it. I could open my mouth and my jaw wasn’t hurting. I could turn my head and touch my ear. Wow! My husband had suggested it a day before, but he said use a water bottle and I just couldn’t even lie on that side let alone rest it on something firm like a water bottle. Soooo wish I had put heat to it earlier. 3 days! Not fun! Hope this works for someone else.
I’m keeping close eye on this thread.
Surely it’s not a coincidence that the majority of us only suffer with the left ear? surely that warrants a bit of research or investigation. Thank you to the last comment offering a suggestion of a hot compress… I just wish I was able to get out of bed to retrieve one 
I’m paralysed, unable to lift my head as any slight movement is just too excruciating. I only suffer with this pain in on waking up, never happens during the day and only happens every so often. Still hoping for a miracle here 
Registered to post.
I feel a small bump inside the conch of my left ear. It’s been there maybe a year or so. The pain precedes the noticeable bump though.
What I experience is a hot pain and my ear becomes very sensitive to the touch, but like others I have found that if I am gentle I can take hold of it, and a massage can at least help the pain for a time.
It’s not all the time but has been becoming more frequent. It used to be a few times a month, now just about every day. It seems to be exacerbated by driving with the window down, wearing headphones for a while, sometimes sleep, extreme cold or heat or sunshine (like a long drive on a sunny day.)
It’s in an awkward spot but I’ve gouged at it with fingernails before and gotten some clear fluid… probably just hurting myself.
Years ago I pierced my own ears and I am considering poking the area with a needle.
31yo male. Maybe 4 or 5 years of this.
OK - there may be a poor ‘signal to noise’ ratio in this thread so, to be clear about my complaint; Since I was a teen for certain (I am 61 now), not sure if earlier, I have, periodically (1 to 4 or 5 times a year ?), had a condition occur after sleeping or napping, which presented as severe ear pain if the external ear was touched or moved even slightly. 90%+ of the time it has been my right ear. Since I usually sleep on my right side, it is the ear on the pillow. Yes, I have also had it in the left ear a few times. (Some people in this thread seem to have an issue with migraines or TMJ or different problems.)
Typically, and ‘attack’ doesn’t last long . A few minutes to an hour or so. There is an ache associated with it, but touching the ear, raising eyebrows, furrowing the brow, certain other movements of the face/head, etc. - in addition to touching, striking or moving the outer ear/tragus(?) - will cause severe pain. Pressing ‘in’ around the ear is not painful, except when the skin is stretched enough to move the outer ear or stress the ear canal/opening. During an ‘attack’ experiments with pain killers(NSAIDS) seem to be ineffective. I want to try a muscle relaxant but haven’t as yet. I can pull/push the ear, with pain, hold it in a displaced manner and the pain subsides. Then, if I release the ear quickly, there is ‘rebound’ pain.
I don’t think I have a fever when it occurs. When the attack is over, the ear may still feel a little different for a while but that goes away also. I will mention, I do occasionally suffer from hay fever, and I do have TMJ pop - but it’s painless.
Fast Forward to a recent attack. This last attack lasted 2 and a half days! It went away within 5-10 minutes after trying the “look up” technique you mentioned in your post. I did not notice any clicking/popping or other sensation. I just tilted my head back as far as possible. I realize this is an anecdotal report of a single occurrence - but I intend to try this again next time I have an attack.
So, it may be premature, but THANK YOU for posting your experience!
I have read threads in 2 Forums about this condition and registered here just to report my experience. maybe others could try the extreme head lift technique and report their experience - it could be months before I have another attack.
It’s now 2016 . Thank goodness i found this thread as i had extreme same pain you all describing . in right ear . I used to do the tugging and massaging thing and it would go . Like something clicked …sometimes felt like fluid actually ran through the artalidge or something …then pain would go .
However , I just had a face lift , and the incisions are round my ear and suddenly the pain of the cartridge thing is there and I cant even manipulate it or do the head movement thing … Im gonna try hot compress …but i feel like passing out and fainting the pain is so bad ,
honestly i think the medical profession needs to recognise thins as a real thing because so far every time I’ve mentioned it they think I’m just an anomaly or mad !
It’s been 9mths since my last post and I haven’t had an episode of pain since. This is a little unusual as never before have I had such a huge gap of pain free "mysterious left ear pain syndrome ". I’m hoping I’ve secretly been cured somehow. Anyone else the same…pain miraculously gone? I haven’t changed anything at all so it’s a little odd considering I’ve suffered for years but not that I’m complaining as this is great
Woke up this morning OK but the pain just hit me at work - right ear.
Have been trying the ‘look up’ maneuver. No relief yet.
I’ll try it a few more times before I give up though!
OK - pain now gone. Ear has a ‘slight’ vague/numb-ish feeling but, touching, moving the ear, moving jaw, forehead, eyebrows etc. - all good!
I did a few look-up moves and I admit I also pulled down on the lobe and kinda pressed around and on it - maybe I should have waited longer and not confused the issue with the additional touching but - hey! - no pain!
yep - still OK.
I even have earbuds in listening to Freakanomics podcasts.