Scalp acupuncture treatment markedly alleviated tinnitus
in a clinical study according to a report published in Brazilian Journal of
otorhinolaryngology.
Tinnitus is a condition of hearing of sound that comes
from inside of your body rather than from an external source. It is estimated
that around 5-15% of the population has some kind of tinnitus. Although
tinnitus can occur at any age, it is more prevalent among those aged between
60-69 years. It is not clear what causes tinnitus, although it is believed that
inner ear damage, middle ear infection, earwax build-up and other brain-related
conditions are closely linked to the tinnitus. Normally if the underline cause
is found, tinnitus will disappear following effective treatment of relevant
cause. However, there is no effective treatment for many people with tinnitus
when the cause is unclear.
Recently Dr. Doi MY and colleagues in Brazil conducted a
clinical study to assess the effectiveness of scalp acupuncture on tinnitus.
Fifty patients with tinnitus were divided into acupuncture group and control
group. Patients in the acupuncture group were treated with scalp
electro-acupuncture with needles inserted bilaterally on the vestitulocochlear
line for 40 mins, twice-a-week for 5 weeks. Patients in control group did not
receive any kind of acupuncture. A visual analog scale consisting of visual
graphic tool was used to determine the intensity or discomfort of tinnitus
before and after acupuncture. The THI questionnaire was used to help patients
to assess the changes before and after acupuncture.
At the end of study it was found that scalp
electro-acupuncture significantly improved tinnitus, judged by changes in
visual analog scale, compared with baseline scores and control group.
Acupuncture treatment also markedly improved the quality of life of patients
with tinnitus according the THI questionnaire compared to baseline and control
group.
Reference:
Doi MY et al., Effectiveness
of acupuncture in individuals with tinnitus: randomized controlled trial. Braz
J Otorhinolaryngol. 2015 Nov 14. pii: S1808-8694(15)00206-2. doi:
10.1016/j.bjorl.2014.12.011. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26654962
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