Even if you’re not familiar with the term, chances are you’ve experienced the symptom once or more in your life. Those that are all-too-familiar with the pain shutter with anxiety and distress when someone brings it up.
Tinnitus is the ringing, buzzing, whizzing, clicking, hissing, or humming sound in the ears that people experience after being exposed to constant loud noises ( a by-product of hearing damage) or for other reasons not resulting from external or environmental factors.
There is no cure for tinnitus, but there are methods and techniques for alleviating the irritating/debilitating symptoms. Thankfully, acupuncture for tinnitus has proven to be an effective solution for many people suffering from the constant ringing in their ears.
This article will discuss what tinnitus is, some of the reasons for tinnitus, and how acupuncture can prove an effective for treatment and provide relief against the nagging symptom.
What is Tinnitus?
According to the Mayo Clinic,
“Tinnitus is when you experience ringing or other noises in one or both of your ears. The noise you hear when you have tinnitus isn’t caused by an external sound, and other people usually can’t hear it. Tinnitus is a common problem. It affects about 15% to 20% of people and is especially common in older adults.”
Tinnitus is the symptom of an underlying condition and is most commonly associated with hearing loss. If you’ve ever had something very loud happen around you and your ears ring for a little while after the exposure to the loud noise, this is temporary tinnitus. Tinnitus results from loud noises causing damage to the hair cells (cochlea) within your ear.
Cochlea are sound wave “interpreters” that send information along the auditory nerve to the brain. When exposed to loud noises at high decibels, these hair-like cells can become permanently damaged and send signals to the brain even when there is no sound entering the ear, almost like a broken antenna sending faulty signals over the airwaves.
Hearing loss is one of the most common causes of tinnitus. Still, tinnitus can also be caused by head or neck injuries, spinal misalignment, medications, sickness, TMJ, blood vessel disorders, and chronic diseases.
It’s important to consult with your physician to determine what exactly is causing a patient tinnitus, as it could be the symptom of a dangerous underlying condition.
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Acupuncture Treatment for Tinnitus
The fundamental belief/practice of acupuncture is to realign the body’s energy (Qi) to promote healing and relief throughout the body. The healing can either be physical or emotional.
When it comes to acupuncture for tinnitus, most treatments focus on acupoints within the ear. However, some acupuncturists will also focus on acupoints in the abdominal regions to help with imbalances in the kidneys, which can be linked to tinnitus.
A study was conducted from 2014-2015 to examine the validity that acupuncture for tinnitus is an ethical and effective treatment for people suffering from non-pulsatile tinnitus.
The study examined acupuncture’s effectiveness for tinnitus by providing placebos to one half of the control group and acupuncture to the other half. The subjects that received acupuncture consistently stated that the severity and loudness of the tinnitus had significantly reduced. The group given the placebos did not indicate this level of improvement.
With successful treatments, patients who suffer from tinnitus can expect relief from the ringing intensity, and eventually, tinnitus will not be something they notice throughout their day-to-day.
To learn more about acupuncture for tinnitus and other conditions, our in-house acupuncturist, Jessica Grace Redfern MAOM, Lic. Ac is happy to answer any questions you may have. Don’t be hesitant to contact us! We’re proud to offer acupuncture for the South Shore!