Tone Pacer PRO App — Has a Very Soothing Effect on My Auditory Cortex

[Lane]

Tone Pacer Pro for Android

"The Tone Pacer Pro application is the professional version of the popular Tone Pacer APP...

...The Pro Version due to its flexibility also lends itself for notch-like treatment protocols that have been shown to attenuate tinnitus and Stochastic Vestibular Stimulation.

The Pro version was design to meet the needs of professionals seeking an application for the generation of acoustical auditory stimulus."
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I regularly visit a chiropractor who uses a wide variety of "alternative" modalities. He muscle tests for everything he does, including his normal chiropractic adjustments. He does the same for various other modalities he employs. One day he checked to see if I might benefit from a relatively new app he'd just gotten called the Tone Pacer PRO ($60), which is used in conjunction with AfterShokz Headphones (around $100 U.S.).

After testing for which frequencies I needed, and for how long, I laid down for 20 minutes and let it do its thing. Within a few minutes, I was pretty gob-smacked by how relaxing it was. As somebody who's done many, many things over the years to help calm down my body, brain, and neurological system (including using benzodiazepines), I could hardly believe how something so seemingly simple could be so relaxing.

I recently purchased this app so I could use it regularly at home, and have found it very helpful to be able to do this on a daily basis. One thing I've done in the past that seems somewhat similar to this Tone Pacer PRO is a microcurrent device called Alpha-Stim. I paid about $600 for that unit, and found it to be very helpful. But this Tone Pacer PRO experience feels much deeper than my Alpha-Stim experience. At least part of the reason could be that it has both a gentle vibratory and auditory stimulus.

I can't really say whether it's affecting my tinnitus severity on an ongoing basis. Being able to use this on a daily basis is coming on the heels of my discovering a product called GABA Calm that is helping to soften both my ear and head tinnitus. But I can say that the Tone Pacer PRO does positively affect both my tinnitus and my auditory cortex agitation while I'm using it. To clarify, I think of "generalized auditory cortex agitation" and head tinnitus to be very similar if not the same thing for me.

Anyway, just wanted to share what I've come across that's working well for me. I would have loved to have had something like this at the time of my initial traumatic tinnitus onset back on Feb. 4, 2018. But even though I'm much improved from that initial screeching 10+++ tinnitus back then, I'm extremely happy to have discovered this new therapy at this time. One more notch in improving the quality of my daily life.

 

[CRGC]

Thanks for sharing this. I'm trying to find more information on the app, but can't seem to find much online. What does the app claim to do exactly? Is it a form of bimodal stimulation, similar to Neurosensory Duo?

 

[Lane]

What does the app claim to do exactly? Is it a form of bimodal stimulation, similar to Neurosensory Duo?

Hi @CRGC -- Unfortunately, I don't really have any answers for you on any of this. I usually research the heck out of things before trying--or buying--something new. But since I experienced this first hand in my chiropractor's office, I knew what it could do for me, and I knew I wanted it. So I just downloaded the app and started using it. Sorry I can't offer any more than this.

I still use it just about every day, and feel so grateful everytime I do, as it really puts me into a state of deep calm, which I think is helped by what this does for my auditory cortex. I just seems to be able to relax when using this despite the tinnitus. To put it more precisely, it seems to greatly relieve a lot of internal agitation that is brought on by my tinnitus.

 

[volterra]

@Lane, is this the app you are talking about?

 

[Lane]

@Lane, is this the app you are talking about?

I just double-checked the link in my first post, and it sure looks like the one. Good luck if you decide to get this; may it give you as much benefit as it's given me.

 

[Ben Winders]

Is this app also useful for low frequency tinnitus?

 

[Ivanom]

Hi @Lane, just a question: do I really need to use headphones in order to achieve some relief with this app?

 

[Lane]

Hi @Lane, just a question: do I really need to use headphones in order to achieve some relief with this app?

Hi @Ivanom -- I asked that very same question when I was first told about this by my chiropractor, and he said yes, I do need to use the headphones. However, I do not put the headphones on directly over my ears. I put them on so that they land somewhere around the outside of the ear.

My understanding is it's the vibration more than the sound that has the beneficial effect. And I do get a consistent profound relaxation when doing it as I described -- I think because it has a calming effect on my auditory cortex. It's great that a person doesn't have to worry about headphone use spiking tinnitus by using this system.

 

[Ivanom]

Hi @Ivanom -- I asked that very same question when I was first told about this by my chiropractor, and he said yes, I do need to use the headphones. However, I do not put the headphones on directly over my ears. I put them on so that they land somewhere around the outside of the ear.

My understanding is it's the vibration more than the sound that has the beneficial effect. And I do get a consistent profound relaxation when doing it as I described -- I think because it has a calming effect on my auditory cortex. It's great that a person doesn't have to worry about headphone use spiking tinnitus by using this system.

Unfortunately, after my current spike, I have a total fear of any headphone thank you.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Unfortunately, after my current spike, I have a total fear of any headphone thank you.

Have you read any of my posts that I advised, particularly: New to Tinnitus, What to Do? It would appear you haven't or you have decided not to listen. You risk your tinnitus increasing by listening to any sound app through headphones.

This is not what you need. If you want your spike to reduce, use simple low-level sound enrichment described in my post and especially at night using a sound machine.

Follow my advice and be patient, then you will see improvement.

Michael

 

[Ivanom]

Have you read any of my posts that I advised, particularly: New to Tinnitus, What to Do? It would appear you haven't or you have decided not to listen. You risk your tinnitus increasing by listening to any sound app through headphones.

This is not what you need. If you want your spike to reduce, use simple low-level sound enrichment described in my post and especially at night using a sound machine.

Follow my advice and be patient, then you will see improvement.

Michael

Yeah, sorry, I was in a whirlwind of fear wanting to find a sound that could help me without the use of headphones. Luckily, as I wrote in the other post, the spike has subsided, but I will carefully follow your advice!

 

[Michael Leigh]

Yeah, sorry, I was in a whirlwind of fear wanting to find a sound that could help me without the use of headphones. Luckily, as I wrote in the other post, the spike has subsided, but I will carefully follow your advice!

I am pleased that your spike has subsided. Learn from this as you may not be so fortunate should your tinnitus spike again. Keep away from headphones and overly loud sounds and don't put total trust in hearing protection. Stick to these rules and you should be alright.

Use low-level sound enrichment at night, by placing a sound machine at your bedside.

All the best,
Michael

 

[Cbush]

Use low-level sound enrichment at night, by placing a sound machine at your bedside.

Can you please provide more details about the low-level sound enrichment machine? Thanks.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Can you please provide more details about the low-level sound enrichment machine? Thanks.

I hope to be writing a piece on the benefits of sound enrichment using wearable white noise generators and using a sound machine at night at low-level, in the near future. I have used them for many years and you might find the information helpful. Please go to my started threads and read the post: Sound Machines and Tinnitus.

All the best,
Michael

 

[slc]

Can you please provide more details about the low-level sound enrichment machine? Thanks.

There are many options available. Sound Oasis has about 5 sounds. I prefer Avantek which is sturdier, smaller, and I think has more sound options. But the easiest would be to use your phone or other streaming device to play a wide variety of available sounds found on:

• YouTube (pink noise, ocean, purple noise, white noise, etc.).
• Music store where you can download ocean and many other sounds. Then just play all night on a loop.
• Sound app for your phone such as TinnitusPlay (my favorite app) but only available for Mac devices. However, I believe there are other Android apps that might serve the purpose.

The trick is too find a soothing sound that works for you.

Sleep is also critical. A good night's sleep gives me the possibility of a decent day 4 on a scale of 1 to 10. Whereas, disrupted sleep, getting up too early or going to bed too late is more likely to result in an 8 out of 10. Note: This isn't always the case.

If sleep is a problem, try hot shower, or even better, hot bath with Epsom salts before bed. Also 6 mg of Melatonin might help. Valerian is another option. You can do all three if you need.

 

[Joe Cuber]

Sound app for your phone such as TinnitusPlay (my favorite app) but only available for Mac devices. However, I believe there are other Android apps that might serve the purpose.

I use the ReSound Relief app on Android. It allows you to combine up to 5 different sounds together per mix, like rain, thunder, cicadas, crickets, brook, ocean, brown/pink/violet/white noise, and more. You can make multiple mixes, and you can set a timer on it or have it play nonstop.