Acupuncture Treatment for Tinnitus
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat various ailments. It’s also may assist people who suffer from tinnitus.
Tinnitus is an annoying ringing or buzzing sound in the ears. It’s often caused by hearing damage, ear infections, viruses or other health conditions.
How to know if you have tinnitus
The most obvious symptom of this condition is the presence of sounds in only one or both ears. These sounds may range from barely audible tones to loud roaring.
You might also notice some changes in pitch over time. Some people describe their tinnitus as “ringing” or “buzzing.” Others say they feel like there’s something vibrating inside their head. In most cases, individuals report feeling pressure behind their eyes or headaches.
What causes it?
The cause is not yet fully understood but has been suggested that the condition results from a combination of factors including:
- • An increase in blood flow through the eardrum
- • The ageing process
- • A change in auditory nerve function due to hearing loss or damage to the cochlea
- • The presence of abnormal sounds within the inner ear
It’s important to note that pain and stress also significantly trigger the condition, and can make the severity far worse when not managed timely.
How does acupuncture help tinnitus?
Acupuncture helps tinnitus because it stimulates the nerves in the ear, which reduces pain and improves hearing. The needles also release endorphins, which reduce stress and anxiety. The best way to find out if acupuncture will work for your condition is to come for a consult at our clinic. We’ll evaluate whether we think acupuncture would benefit you, then schedule further appointments for treatment if it is suitable.
When used for tinnitus, acupuncture involves placing needles into the skin around the area. This stimulates the immediate area surrounding the needle insertion site. If you experience any discomfort during this process, please let us know so we can adjust the location of the needles accordingly.
It’s important to note that while acupuncture works well for many patients, it doesn’t always offer complete relief. This is mostly because every patient is different, complete with treatment options that work better for one person over the next. It takes time for the treatments to work on tinnitus. Often it is difficult to know if the treatment is working because the tinnitus may come and go. Tinnitus may feel worse for stress so it is important to be mindful about taking on too much stress.
This randomised double blind control trial found acupuncture a successful treatment for tinnitus. The study found that acupuncture is helpful in reducing the loudness and severity of tinnitus and can be a useful treatment for nonpulsatile chronic tinnitus. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5771359/
What should I expect during my first visit?
During your initial visit, we’ll ask about any medical history you’ve had since birth, such as allergies or previous surgeries. We’ll perform a check for signs of illness or injury. If necessary, we’ll conduct other assessments to rule out serious problems. Finally, we’ll review all information gathered so far and make recommendations based on this data.
After your initial visit to Eastern Therapies, our team will usually recommend scheduling follow up visits every regularly to ensure you get the best possible outcome. During your visit for acupuncture treatment for tinnitus, we’ll discuss how frequent your treatment sessions should be.
