tRNS, The Next Neuromodulation Method

I'm not sure what to make of all this, but it does give me hope that your tinnitus changed, even if it didn't last.

Maybe these treatments just take time to take effect, or maybe researchers are getting closer to a breakthrough. Either way, some positive news is better than none.
 
@Mathilda, mulling over your story and comparing it to the days when I was bouncing from doctor to therapist, some things you said brought back memories.

You mentioned a 20% reduction in tinnitus—I'm happy to hear that, and I hope it lasts.

About 25 years ago, I did a therapy program at a live-in clinic in Germany. It involved lectures that gave a thorough rundown of the latest medical knowledge on tinnitus—what it is, the different types, and how it is triggered—all to help remove the fear. The idea was that if it wasn't caused by a tumor, it wasn't dangerous.

Another key message was to get up, get out, and engage with life—spending time with people, enjoying a picnic in the woods, swimming, and so on. Oh, and relaxation therapy: autogenic training, yoga, tai chi…

One point was made clear from the start: our tinnitus would seem much louder at first. We were there for a "cure," so naturally, tinnitus would be at the forefront of our consciousness. They were right! Maybe it felt 20% more intrusive.

So when you say your tinnitus is 20% lower after the sessions… I wonder.

The sooner the Bionics Institute gets its objective tinnitus-measuring device widely available, the better—we'll finally have something concrete to go on.

Sounds almost like the TRT I did back in the '90s. It helped me live with it for about ten years—but now I'm back here, aren't I?
Hello @Joeseph Stope,

I'm sorry for what you went through 25 years ago. Unfortunately, some of that advice is still around. When I received "counseling" from someone associated with the German tinnitus league and was told to keep busy with jigsaw puzzles, it freaked me out a little.

Anyway, I don't think the treatments we received can be compared at all. Neurostimulation techniques have already shown some effects in the past—not just on tinnitus-related distress but on loudness itself. However, these effects have not been consistent or permanent. My tinnitus also became loud again, as I described in my report.

For me, it was very clear that the loudness of my tinnitus dropped due to the treatment. It wasn't just a shift in perception. But I understand your point—this is such a subjective experience, and why should you "trust" a random person's report on the internet? In the end, we have to wait for the study to be published to see if more participants experienced a reduction in volume and, if so, whether the changes are clinically significant.

I completely agree—we need an objective way to measure tinnitus loudness.

Wishing you all the best!
I'm not sure what to make of all this, but it does give me hope that your tinnitus changed, even if it didn't last.

Maybe these treatments just take time to take effect, or maybe researchers are getting closer to a breakthrough. Either way, some positive news is better than none.
It gave me hope too.

Still, I don't expect a "breakthrough" with these stimulation treatments, as I'm quite sure they won't be able to silence tinnitus completely. However, I do believe they can have an effect to some extent, and I hope we can benefit from them soon. Even small reductions could make a big difference for those who suffer severely.
 

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