Acupuncture for Tinnitus

[Juan]

Thanks, Juan.

Problem is, I'm very, very sceptical and it costs a fortune here. And for me it seems shady that to everyone with tinnitus they say it's due to kidney malfunction...

But you say that it doesn't help permanently, but doesn't do harm either, right? I read it here that maybe electroacupuncture is one procedure to avoid. I think, because of COVID-19, I have time to think about this.

I'm talking about traditional Chinese acupuncture, with needles. It's very nice, very relaxing.

I think they say it is due to "kidney" malfunction, because traditional Chinese medicine understand the body as a whole, and it is a bit weird in its diagnosis, I know... but that's the way it is.

Here acupuncture is not that expensive, maybe 50 - 70 euros per session, but most medical insurance does not cover it, so it has to be paid by patients.

 

[Lane]

is acupuncture just a waste of money and time or can it have some nasty side affects, capability of making tinnitus worse?

Hi @Kriszti -- It depends on who you ask. If somebody has gotten good results, they'll say it's worth it. Those that don't get any results, or even bad results will probably say it's a waste of money. I've heard of acupuncture making tinnitus worse, but only temporarily. I've also heard that if a therapy causes tinnitus to increase, it can actually be a good sign. In other words, there's no definitive answers to your questions. The way to find out anything about anything is to try it. I usually decide to try things that are the safest, cheapest, and most likely to get good results. I put acupuncture in that category.

My own orientation is to try to do things for myself (including self-acupuncture). I've watched a lot of YouTube videos and viewed many different ways a person can massage or stimulate various parts of the head that might in some way affect tinnitus. I consider it to be a more methodical approach that's as likely to succeed as doing any number of other therapies. A lot of it involves getting greater relaxation, better circulation, better alignment in the head area(s), etc. I even dry brush my neck area regularly to help stimulate lymphatic drainage. It's just so complicated in the head area, and it takes a lot of trial and error with a lot of approaches to see what might eventually work for us. -- Anyway, just a few random thoughts. If you give acupuncture a try, I hope you get some good results from it.

 

[Kriszti]

Hi @Kriszti -- It depends on who you ask. If somebody has gotten good results, they'll say it's worth it. Those that don't get any results, or even bad results will probably say it's a waste of money. I've heard of acupuncture making tinnitus worse, but only temporarily. I've also heard that if a therapy causes tinnitus to increase, it can actually be a good sign. In other words, there's no definitive answers to your questions. The way to find out anything about anything is to try it. I usually decide to try things that are the safest, cheapest, and most likely to get good results. I put acupuncture in that category.

My own orientation is to try to do things for myself (including self-acupuncture). I've watched a lot of YouTube videos and viewed many different ways a person can massage or stimulate various parts of the head that might in some way affect tinnitus. I consider it to be a more methodical approach that's as likely to succeed as doing any number of other therapies. A lot of it involves getting greater relaxation, better circulation, better alignment in the head area(s), etc. I even dry brush my neck area regularly to help stimulate lymphatic drainage. It's just so complicated in the head area, and it takes a lot of trial and error with a lot of approaches to see what might eventually work for us. -- Anyway, just a few random thoughts. If you give acupuncture a try, I hope you get some good results from it.

Thank you, Lane.

My worry is not to make my current situation worse. And my problem is that my family cant believe that tinnitus is incurable and very well capable of worsening, so they are of the opinion to try everything. Also, acupuncture in the recommended treatment plan is around 40 appointments here and it's about 3 times of my monthly income... and reading about it, TCM seems a bit sketchy. I just can't believe it that all the people with tinnitus has kidney problems.

I will definitely read more about it.

 

[Juan]

Thank you, Lane.

My worry is not to make my current situation worse. And my problem is that my family cant believe that tinnitus is incurable and very well capable of worsening, so they are of the opinion to try everything. Also, acupuncture in the recommended treatment plan is around 40 appointments here and it's about 3 times of my monthly income... and reading about it, TCM seems a bit sketchy. I just can't believe it that all the people with tinnitus has kidney problems.

I will definitely read more about it.

Szia Kriszti! Did you try the acupuncture?

 

[GBB]

Thank you, Lane.

My worry is not to make my current situation worse. And my problem is that my family cant believe that tinnitus is incurable and very well capable of worsening, so they are of the opinion to try everything. Also, acupuncture in the recommended treatment plan is around 40 appointments here and it's about 3 times of my monthly income... and reading about it, TCM seems a bit sketchy. I just can't believe it that all the people with tinnitus has kidney problems.

I will definitely read more about it.

Don't let them do electro-acupuncture. It made mine worse for sure.

 

[InfiniteLoop]

@Kriszti

Your instinct is right. Acupuncture is nearly pseudoscience and does not make sense for tinnitus (sure the kidney and the liver are causing the problem...) You can read my experience in previous pages of this thread. My advice is to save the money and the time. You will only get placebo effect and the relaxation that comes with the sessions. This is not the way to solve the problem.

Along the years I have changed my view about trying treatments because the immense majority are either well intentioned scams or just tricks to get the money from hopeless people that will try whatever to fix this horrible condition. We all have the illusion that we will be the rare case that a weird treatment will work. The reality is that some people will get better or even get cured without trying any treatment, and once the condition settles in, there is very little to do with current medical technology. Lenire is producing very mediocre results and it is nearly another treatment disappointment in spite of the good intentions.

 

[donotringatme]

Has anyone thought why acupuncture works temporarily to an extent? Someone mentioned before that it treated their hyperacusis for a while.

Has anyone searched to find out if the muscles on their jaws work properly? We have a muscle near the ear responsible for hyperacusis, another one for middle ear pressure. If acupuncture provides with muscle relaxation (and afaik that's all it does), then you may be having muscle tension therefore an imbalance or not working properly or strain stemming from something else, like an irritated nerve or the jaw or the jugular bulb or it may be on many levels, including the neck. It may be anatomical.

Isn't this a reason to search deeper into it? Many people here claim they have ups and downs on tinnitus. I don't believe for a second that this happens because of habituation and meditation. It happens because whatever the cause is, it fluctuates, it subsides and it's aggravating. What's more common than a muscle of nerve to be involved in this or even a vein, considering they are in an area (face) that's constantly changing and being used?

Also, 70€ for an acupuncture session with Mrs. Wai So Dim? Christ...

 

[Kriszti]

@Juan
No, I haven't. COVID-19 is raging right now in Bp., so I only go to medical/treatment facilities if it's absolutely necessary. I'm worried about my family.

@GBB
Thank you, I'm not planning to. I have read in this thread also about an experience when electroacupuncture made matters worse.

@InfiniteLoop
I have the same impression and not just from Tinnitus Talk, but from local groups as well. I could do with the relaxation and it might be a good experience, but I don't like the scientifically unproven claim from practitioners that it does help and eliminate tinnitus. It is way too expensive for me to invest in when results are inconclusive.

 

[Kriszti]

@FGG, @Frédéric, @brownbear or anyone else who has medical knowledge

Do you think there is some truth in acupuncture claiming that problems with the ear are connected to the kidney and/or the adneral glands? I find it really hard to believe it, but I'm an absolute layman. I asked a TCM practitioner but only got some explanation about the Qi.

 

[wwtsai]

I had my first session yesterday and seemed like everything was fine. I opted not to do electroacupuncture but the acupuncturist insisted and only connected one needle on my arm and leg. My tinnitus in my right ear seems to be more shrill but I can't tell if it was always like that or it's maybe from the acupuncture. It's definitely done the opposite for me and ramped up my tinnitus distress

 

[wwtsai]

Don't let them do electro-acupuncture. It made mine worse for sure.

Did the worsening from electro-acupuncture improve or go away?

 

[GBB]

Did the worsening from electro-acupuncture improve or go away?

That went away thankfully. I got better extremely slowly over three months, but am now in what I hope is a spike after a fire alarm went off in my house. That being said I highly recommend not doing any more electro-acupuncture.

 

[wwtsai]

That went away thankfully. I got better extremely slowly over three months, but am now in what I hope is a spike after a fire alarm went off in my house. That being said I highly recommend not doing any more electro-acupuncture.

Good to hear that it generally seems like a temporary increase.

I've followed your journey as my spike occurred roughly the same time a few months back. I really hope you recover from this setback and find a set of treatments that'll consistently work for you.

 

[Frédéric]

So an umbrella review is a review study of review studies.

Efficacy of acupuncture for tinnitus: an umbrella review

Background: Tinnitus is a condition characterized by an annoying auditory phantom sensation with a heterogeneous etiology, often associated with an impairment of health-related quality of life. This umbrella review aims to determine whether acupuncture can be a useful remedy for the symptomatic management of patients with tinnitus.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were systematically searched up to May 9th, 2020 for relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the topic. The quality of included studies was evaluated with a dedicated NIH assessment tool. Then, retrieved evidence was summarized and critically discussed.

Results: After the article screening process, six systematic reviews were included. Overall, results of included studies suggested that acupuncture might have an integrative role in the symptomatic management of tinnitus, but available evidence is limited and conflicting. In general, acupuncture, when administered by an expert practitioner following all hygienic rules, was considered a well-tolerated practice, although safety data are quite scant. The overall methodological quality of included reviews was judged as fair-to-good, but the quality of primary studies comprised in analyzed reviews was reported to be low.

Conclusions: To date, on the basis of available scientific evidence, it is not possible to affirm that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of tinnitus. However, it is not excluded that there might be some efficacy of intervention (especially manual acupuncture plus moxibustion) in the symptomatic management of specific subtypes of tinnitus (neurogenic tinnitus). The actual state of research requires a joint effort by Chinese and Western centers to conduct at least one high-quality multicenter randomized controlled trial to draw firm conclusions on the topic.

Full article: see PDF file.

 

[wwtsai]

I've done about four sessions so far and haven't noticed any benefit to my tinnitus. My acupuncturist is convinced that tension in my neck is exacerbating it since it and my shoulders are fairly tense, but I cannot modulate my tinnitus at all with neck or jaw movements. I've refused to do electroacupuncture due to several people experiencing adverse effects from it. I'm going to give it two more sessions then call it quits.

 

[Peter Dunn]

My fellow physiotherapist has developed his own technique using electroacupuncture with myofascial release.
He can tune his electro stim generator to a frequency of 20Hz which is the same as in human bioelectrical current.
I go see him every couple of months because the effect is not permanent and mine T goes back, but some of his patients said it was permanent fix for them.
I'm in the UK

 

[Terry23]

I'll give my thoughts here, as I'm trying acupuncture for neck/jaw tension, which I believe has caused or contributed towards a tinnitus spike.

So notice I said acupuncture to address the neck tension. I did in my neck during training (Muay Thai) the same week as the tinnitus spike occurred, so therefore I came to the conclusion they maybe related.

I know from experience with dealing with backpain; be it massage, chiropractic, acupuncture... you can't just go to the sessions and expect to be fixed straight away. Really, the treatments should evolve around a change in your lifestyle.

If someone just goes for acupuncture once per week for their bad knee, yet doesn't do anything for their mental/physical health in between treatments, that one session per week will not do much.

As a trainer, I get this all the time. I'll have a client once per week, they wonder why they aren't getting as fit as they expected. I ask them what they did since they last saw me; it's usually nothing. They expect to pay me money once per week, and like a car in a repair shop they are good to go. Back on the junk food and alcohol, until next week for the next tune up.

Health really doesn't work that way.

Ill health may be the result of years or even decades of unhealthy lifestyle choices. That applies to muscular tension, that may be aggravating tinnitus. To expect one acupuncture session to reverse 30 years of excess muscular tension, is expecting a bit much.

With the acupuncture, I'm using it to help fix some neck/jaw tension, which I believe has caused the spike. So I'll be working on the neck tension everyday, and the acupuncture is really to complement my own work.

 

[Lane]

the acupuncture is really to complement my own work.

Hi @Terry23 -- Very good points. -- Have you considered doing self-acupuncture? I sometimes wonder if some people who don't get good results from doing weekly acupuncture might improve if they did self-acupuncture daily, or as often as necessary.

I'm currently a few months post-COVID-19, and my worst lingering symptom is vertigo. A single self-acupuncture session improves it every time, usually significantly. I wouldn't be able to afford going to a regular acupuncturist given my almost daily needs. Doing ear points also helps calm my ears, softening my tinnitus somewhat in the process.

 

[Terry23]

Hi @Terry23 -- Very good points. -- Have you considered doing self-acupuncture? I sometimes wonder if some people who don't get good results from doing weekly acupuncture might improve if they did self-acupuncture daily, or as often as necessary.

I'm currently a few months post-COVID-19, and my worst lingering symptom is vertigo. A single self-acupuncture session improves it every time, usually significantly. I wouldn't be able to afford going to a regular acupuncturist given my almost daily needs. Doing ear points also helps calm my ears, softening my tinnitus somewhat in the process.

I'm not sure if full self-treatments are possible, also it may be a bit much to do it everyday.

I'd say consider it as a supplement to your own work; if someone is going to invest £50/$80 or more per week, they may as well also learn Chi Gung alongside it. Chi Gung is very easy to learn, and can be practiced everyday.

If one is going to try a traditional Chinese approach, they may as well give it a full try.

I'm also getting treatment for long COVID-19. Had it last December, was getting palpitations on and off for a few months. It still comes back from time to time.

Hang in there, it does get better.

 

[Stuart-T]

I noticed posts asking if Acupuncture works so I decided to read through this thread.

My conclusions:

- Approximately 7 in 8 who tried Acupuncture reported no success.
- 1 in 8 claimed anything from huge improvement to some improvement.
- Studies published have not established that Acupuncture is successful in the treatment of tinnitus.

I think it is reasonable to say that for those who reported improvement - either placebo is the reason or it is purely coincidental. If Acupuncture works at all - why is the success rate so low?

Given that acupuncture cannot demonstrate any credible scientifically valid mechanism, I would be very hesitant to spend any money at all on this treatment. Yes, I know that does not mean that Acupuncture cannot work - but the burden of proof is on those who claim it does work.

Tinnitus sufferers are being told that they will see no results until after a long course of treatments. So it is clearly a gamble if you want to spend $1,000 to check this - be my guest LOL. One person will benefit, if not you - the therapist.

We have heard "you need to find the right therapist!"

But we have read posts from many people that tried reputable therapists and had zero success. What are we supposed to do? Book 10 sessions with one therapist after another until we find one that works?

If the industry is so poorly regulated that one struggles to find an effective practitioner, I cannot accept that it is worth getting involved with Acupuncture at all.

Many have said even though their tinnitus did not reduce, they found it relaxing.

Personally I would rather spend my money on deep tissue massage than lying down with a dozen needles sticking in my body, for relaxation - or reflexology - a nice foot massage and heart to heart with the therapist may be money better spent.

If you have loads of money to spare, go ahead and give Acupuncture a go. Personally, after reading this thread, I would not waste my time and money on it.

 

[SaraK18]

I noticed posts asking if Acupuncture works so I decided to read through this thread.

My conclusions:

- Approximately 7 in 8 who tried Acupuncture reported no success.
- 1 in 8 claimed anything from huge improvement to some improvement.
- Studies published have not established that Acupuncture is successful in the treatment of tinnitus.

I think it is reasonable to say that for those who reported improvement - either placebo is the reason or it is purely coincidental. If Acupuncture works at all - why is the success rate so low?

Given that acupuncture cannot demonstrate any credible scientifically valid mechanism, I would be very hesitant to spend any money at all on this treatment. Yes, I know that does not mean that Acupuncture cannot work - but the burden of proof is on those who claim it does work.

Tinnitus sufferers are being told that they will see no results until after a long course of treatments. So it is clearly a gamble if you want to spend $1,000 to check this - be my guest LOL. One person will benefit, if not you - the therapist.

We have heard "you need to find the right therapist!"

But we have read posts from many people that tried reputable therapists and had zero success. What are we supposed to do? Book 10 sessions with one therapist after another until we find one that works?

If the industry is so poorly regulated that one struggles to find an effective practitioner, I cannot accept that it is worth getting involved with Acupuncture at all.

Many have said even though their tinnitus did not reduce, they found it relaxing.

Personally I would rather spend my money on deep tissue massage than lying down with a dozen needles sticking in my body, for relaxation - or reflexology - a nice foot massage and heart to heart with the therapist may be money better spent.

If you have loads of money to spare, go ahead and give Acupuncture a go. Personally, after reading this thread, I would not waste my time and money on it.

Hi @Stuart-T,

I'm an Acupuncturist, so I wanted to to respond to your post. Just as in Western medicine, tinnitus is one of the most difficult things to treat in Chinese medicine (which includes Acupuncture) as well. I remember one of my professors telling us that in class.

I think that Acupuncture for tinnitus that is the result of an injury is more difficult, but not impossible. The goal with Acupuncture is to restore balance to the body, so if imbalance is the cause of the tinnitus, it would be more likely to have an effect.

Regarding clinical trials and testing for Acupuncture, there are many, you can check medical websites like PubMed. However, there is not the research that Western drugs have due to a multitude of factors, such as funding, or the very nature of Acupuncture and Chinese medicine being a completely different paradigm from the Western medicine model, which is not holistic.

Not trying to convince anyone to go get Acupuncture, just offering the information that I have.

 

[Juliane]

Hi @Stuart-T,

I'm an Acupuncturist, so I wanted to to respond to your post. Just as in Western medicine, tinnitus is one of the most difficult things to treat in Chinese medicine (which includes Acupuncture) as well. I remember one of my professors telling us that in class.

I think that Acupuncture for tinnitus that is the result of an injury is more difficult, but not impossible. The goal with Acupuncture is to restore balance to the body, so if imbalance is the cause of the tinnitus, it would be more likely to have an effect.

Regarding clinical trials and testing for Acupuncture, there are many, you can check medical websites like PubMed. However, there is not the research that Western drugs have due to a multitude of factors, such as funding, or the very nature of Acupuncture and Chinese medicine being a completely different paradigm from the Western medicine model, which is not holistic.

Not trying to convince anyone to go get Acupuncture, just offering the information that I have.

Hey Sara. Thanks for clarifying.

I would be interested to know why you think tinnitus from an injury would not be impossible to treat? What could Acupuncture do to address that?

Many thanks in advance for your reply!

 

[Stuart-T]

Hi @Stuart-T,

I'm an Acupuncturist, so I wanted to to respond to your post. Just as in Western medicine, tinnitus is one of the most difficult things to treat in Chinese medicine (which includes Acupuncture) as well. I remember one of my professors telling us that in class.

I think that Acupuncture for tinnitus that is the result of an injury is more difficult, but not impossible. The goal with Acupuncture is to restore balance to the body, so if imbalance is the cause of the tinnitus, it would be more likely to have an effect.

Regarding clinical trials and testing for Acupuncture, there are many, you can check medical websites like PubMed. However, there is not the research that Western drugs have due to a multitude of factors, such as funding, or the very nature of Acupuncture and Chinese medicine being a completely different paradigm from the Western medicine model, which is not holistic.

Not trying to convince anyone to go get Acupuncture, just offering the information that I have.

There are also trials for homeopathy and other alternative treatments published at PubMed etc. Being published on PubMed does not mean that efficacy has been established.

Fortunately we have excellent organisations such as The British Tinnitus Association who have reviewed all the studies. So there is no need for me to trawl the studies. Below is a screenshot:

I stand by my earlier comments and indeed the experiences of Tinnitus Talk members seems to back up my suspicion that Acupuncture does not help to relieve tinnitus.

You are claiming that in some cases tinnitus can be caused by an imbalance in the body (whatever that means!) and that in these cases Acupuncture may help. There is no evidence I am aware of to confirm any of your claims but thanks for your opinion.

 

[SaraK18]

Hey Sara. Thanks for clarifying.

I would be interested to know why you think tinnitus from an injury would not be impossible to treat? What could Acupuncture do to address that?

Many thanks in advance for your reply!

I read the below study recently. You can skip down to results and conclusion if you don't want to read the whole thing. While this talks about electroacupuncture, it's reasonable to extrapolate that this information could apply to non electroacupuncture as well.

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Rats

I think acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine could help post acoustic trauma by reducing inflammation, reducing edema (I'm thinking of the inflammatory process that can cause hair cell death or endolymphatic hydrops), increasing blood flow, activating the parasympathetic nervous system to help the body relax and heal more efficiently, activating chemicals in the brain to help with pain response/healing, and from a Chinese medicine perspective, balancing the meridians that run through/around the ears.

There are also trials for homeopathy and other alternative treatments published at PubMed etc. Being published on PubMed does not mean that efficacy has been established.

Fortunately we have excellent organisations such as The British Tinnitus Association who have reviewed all the studies. So there is no need for me to trawl the studies. Below is a screenshot:

View attachment 55844

I stand by my earlier comments and indeed the experiences of Tinnitus Talk members seems to back up my suspicion that Acupuncture does not help to relieve tinnitus.

You are claiming that in some cases tinnitus can be caused by an imbalance in the body (whatever that means!) and that in these cases Acupuncture may help. There is no evidence I am aware of to confirm any of your claims but thanks for your opinion.

You are basing your opinion on no knowledge or awareness of an entire branch of medicine. It's OK, it's not for everyone. If Western medicine is working for you, do what's comfortable.

There is no reason for you to be condescending to me. I took the time to explain something to you, and you responded with a snarky comment ("balance the body, whatever that means!")

We are all on this forum because we have suffered some issue with our auditory system and are trying to share knowledge. It is designed to be a place of support. Please don't make this forum a snarky, ugly place, like so many others on the internet. Let's treat each other with respect, and not take out our anger on the people in this forum. Overconfidence and lack of knowledge is never a good combination. Your opinion that any time acupuncture works it must be a placebo is actually wrong. I have treated people with tinnitus who have come to me every week because they felt better and could function. You don't need to believe acupuncture works, but you can debate people without being condescending and disrespectful. Thanks.

 

[Stuart-T]

You are basing your opinion on no knowledge or awareness of an entire branch of medicine. It's OK, it's not for everyone. If Western medicine is working for you, do what's comfortable.

There is no reason for you to be condescending to me. I took the time to explain something to you, and you responded with a snarky comment ("balance the body, whatever that means!")

We are all on this forum because we have suffered some issue with our auditory system and are trying to share knowledge. It is designed to be a place of support. Please don't make this forum a snarky, ugly place, like so many others on the internet. Let's treat each other with respect, and not take out our anger on the people in this forum. Overconfidence and lack of knowledge is never a good combination. Your opinion that any time acupuncture works it must be a placebo is actually wrong. I have treated people with tinnitus who have come to me every week because they felt better and could function. You don't need to believe acupuncture works, but you can debate people without being condescending and disrespectful. Thanks.

Acupuncture is not a branch of medicine. It is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

I am just reporting honestly what the data says, which is at odds with what you claim.

I do give credit to alternative practitioners because they spend time - give sympathy - and listen to their patients. People find this a benefit even if the actual therapy itself has not been demonstrated to be effective. I hope the people that come to you will continue to get this benefit.

 

[SaraK18]

Acupuncture is not a branch of medicine. It is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

I am just reporting honestly what the data says, which is at odds with what you claim.

I do give credit to alternative practitioners because they spend time - give sympathy - and listen to their patients. People find this a benefit even if the actual therapy itself has not been demonstrated to be effective. I hope the people that come to you will continue to get this benefit.

I think your lack of knowledge and information prohibits you from having the ability to correctly understand holistic medicine.
TCM is a branch of medicine, but good for you for misreading my post then trying to mansplain my profession to me lol. Being dismissive of something because you don't understand is a bit immature, no?

The British Tinnitus Association website you referenced said the results were mixed, and due to that, they couldn't give a recommendation. That's not the same as saying it's ineffective.

 

[Stuart-T]

The British Tinnitus Association website you referenced said the results were mixed, and due to that, they couldn't give a recommendation. That's not the same as saying it's ineffective.

That's a simplification. There were more negatives and neutrals than positives and for the positives there were methodology flaws.

And I am not claiming Acupuncture is ineffective. I never made that claim.

I am saying there is insufficient evidence to back up the claim it IS effective.

For conventional medicine - that is not enough to get approval.

So you are offering treatment for a condition which by the standards of conventional medicine frankly would not be approved.

 

[slc]

I tried perhaps seven different Acupuncturists in all. I found ONE who made a difference in the decibel level and intrusiveness of what was catastrophic and slowing abating to very severe tinnitus. (This came on 11 years ago during a period of high stress.) My symptoms reduced for one or two days after each treatment. I do believe that most Acupuncturists will at least be able to calm the parasympathetic nervous system. In Acupuncture that might be described as reducing liver and gall bladder fire rising, as well as tonifying the kidney meridian.

There are similarities between Acupuncture and Ayurveda. I have used them in combination, along with Klonopin, Gabapentin, Celexa, Hypnosis, Craniosacral therapy, meditation, getting to bed by 11 pm, sound therapy (in ear and in the room), and probably a fair bit more. After about three years of the above treatments (some done weekly and even twice a week), the catastrophic tinnitus I first experienced mellowed to moderate (where I no longer have to wear white noise devices to make it through the day). And yes, this has all cost a fortune. I dug deep into my retirement accounts.

I've recently had an 11 month spike caused by a VERY loud fire alarm. Things are finally coming down to the moderate level several days a week. I've been using Ayurvedic herbs, Acupuncture once every two weeks, the western meds listed above, better sleep habits, and exercise (swimming every day this past summer), plus hearing aids with pink noise.

 

[Stuart-T]

I tried perhaps seven different Acupuncturists in all. I found ONE who made a difference in the decibel level and intrusiveness of what was catastrophic and slowing abating to very severe tinnitus. (This came on 11 years ago during a period of high stress.) My symptoms reduced for one or two days after each treatment. I do believe that most Acupuncturists will at least be able to calm the parasympathetic nervous system. In Acupuncture that might be described as reducing liver and gall bladder fire rising, as well as tonifying the kidney meridian.

There are similarities between Acupuncture and Ayurveda. I have used them in combination, along with Klonopin, Gabapentin, Celexa, Hypnosis, Craniosacral therapy, meditation, getting to bed by 11 pm, sound therapy (in ear and in the room), and probably a fair bit more. After about three years of the above treatments (some done weekly and even twice a week), the catastrophic tinnitus I first experienced mellowed to moderate (where I no longer have to wear white noise devices to make it through the day). And yes, this has all cost a fortune. I dug deep into my retirement accounts.

I've recently had an 11 month spike caused by a VERY loud fire alarm. Things are finally coming down to the moderate level several days a week. I've been using Ayurvedic herbs, Acupuncture once every two weeks, the western meds listed above, better sleep habits, and exercise (swimming every day this past summer), plus hearing aids with pink noise.

It sounds like you are throwing the kitchen sink at tinnitus and you do have some money and patience to persevere. Maybe with this latest Acupuncturist there is some other factor which resulted in the temporary lower tinnitus levels you are not aware of.

This is the problem with expensive treatments which make claims like - balancing the body. Perhaps - (a big perhaps) Acupuncture "balanced your yin and yang" for 2-3 days every time you had a session. That means for continual lower tinnitus levels you would need to spend $80 every several days plus the time spent for the rest of your life.

At least with a dubious piece of kit like the Lenire you spend £3,000 and that is it. Therapy costs are ongoing and could run into tens of thousands over the years.

 

[SaraK18]

I've been using Ayurvedic herbs

Would you mind sharing what Ayurvedic herbs you have used? I know it's specific to your constitution, but I am curious what has been helpful. Also, did you ever have hyperacusis?

Cheers,
S