Tinnitus and Acupuncture

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is defined as the hearing of abnormal sounds/ noise by one or both ears without the presence of an actual source of sounds in the environment. Sometimes patients describe it as ringing in the ears, roaring sounds, or even seems like a water splash. Tinnitus is a really disturbing health issue that many people suffer from. In Canada, almost 4 in 10 Canadians suffer from tinnitus each year. According to Statistics Canada, last year (2019) as many as 37% of Canadians suffered Tinnitus this year only https://www.sac-oac.ca/news-events/events/tinnitus-canada-how-can-audiologists-step-challenge-2020. This article with discuss Tinnitus and Acupuncture Treatment

What is the Treatment of Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is one of the most difficult health problems to solve. This is because, in the majority of people who have Tinnitus, there is no clear reason to treat or fix, so the Ear Nose and Throat Doctor usually runs many tests and physical exams with the help of the audiologist (Hearing Specialist) to reach out to the possible reason(s) of this problem, Sometimes, the medical team can find a reason ( such as impacted ear wax, foreign body, or fluid behind the ear that needs to be drained or issues with the ear drum that need surgical fixation), however, for the majority of cases, no specific reason is found, and hence comes the frustration to the patient as he/she finds no clue to the problem solving, as well to the medical team who is confronted with no obvious reason to treat or manage.

What is the role of Acupuncture in Tinnitus?

Acupuncture works in a different way than the standard medical approach. Acupuncture depends on creating Clear Channels of energy that regulate the hearing process and align these energy channels (sometimes called Meridians in Chinese Medicine), so the energy balance of the hearing system is achieved and the symptoms become way less or even sometimes, completely gone.

Is there scientific Proof or evidence that Acupuncture works for Tinnitus?

The simple answer to that question is YES. In 2018, doctors interested in treating Tinnitus with Acupuncture published research that was done on 88  patients with Tinnitus. They were treated with either Acupuncture only ( 44 patients), or a Placebo (something that has no effect just to compare and contrast the two groups) (44 patients also). Their mean age was 49 years. After several sessions of acupuncture, the group of patients who had acupuncture for treatment reported a significant reduction in the symptoms of tinnitus as compared to those who had received the placebo treatment. 

Conclusion

Acupuncture can be a very promising treatment for patients with Tinnitus based on the scientific research evidence.

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