Analysis of Factors Influencing the Efficiency of Acupuncture in Tinnitus Patients

Abstract

An effective acupuncture treatment must comprehend the influence of various factors, but studies in this aspect remain limited. This study aimed to identify relevant factors and search for the best practical method of acupuncture for patients with tinnitus. The study was a retrospective review of patients’ data with a prospective design who had subjective idiopathic tinnitus and received acupuncture between May 2012 and August 2017. Patients’ demographics, tinnitus characteristics, previous diseases, underlying diseases, oral habits, audiograms, acupuncture sessions, and acupoints were recorded and analyzed. A visual analog scale (VASloudness) was used for measuring the loudness of tinnitus, and the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale (CGI-I) was used for assessing the suffering of patients. Good treatment responses in patients were defined as the magnitude of change from the baseline VASloudness for ≥ 30% plus CGI-I ≤ 3 points. In total, 107 patients were enrolled. Most factors were not significantly associated with the treatment effectiveness of acupuncture in tinnitus patients. Only the combination of acupoints and the number of acupuncture sessions reached statistically significant differences. Further analyzing these two factors, we confirmed that the combination of periauricular and distal acupuncture and 17 to 24 acupuncture sessions contributed to a considerably better outcome. This result would serve as a reference for clinical acupuncturists to select an appropriate acupuncture strategy in the treatment of tinnitus.

Effect of acupuncture on tinnitus severity index in the elderly with non-pulsating tinnitus

“…Both studies re-ported a significant improvement of TSi and VASTL [17,20]. Consistently, with the application of MAC on periauricular and distal acupoints, another 2 studies demonstrated more VASTL improvement (with a high statistically significant difference) [18,19] than with the application of MAC on periauricular acupoints only [27]. Again, in another research that compared acupuncture, western medicine, and Chinese herbs, acupuncture produced the greatest positive significant effect on tinnitus [28].…”

Lipid Profile Response to Acupuncture in Obese Patients with Subjective Tinnitus: a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…In this study, we applied acupuncture to the most possible acupoints around the ear and the body overall. Our application pattern is supported by a recent study that recommended stimulating the largest possible number of acupoints around the ear or in various parts of the body to achieve the desired outcome from the application of AT in patients with tinnitus [40].…”

Weekly Acupuncture for a Patient With Hemifacial Spasms: A Case Report

“…The frequency of acupuncture is often a cause of concern. Studies have assessed the effective number of acupuncture sessions for conditions, such as migraines [ 14 ], chronic pelvic pain syndrome [ 15 ], stroke [ 16 ], and tinnitus [ 17 ]. In Japan, acupuncture is traditionally performed once a week, and our clinic often follows this schedule.…”