Complementary Therapies for Significant Dysfunction from Tinnitus: Treatment Review and Potential for Integrative Medicine

Abstract

Tinnitus is a prevalent and costly chronic condition; no universally effective treatment exists. Only 20% of patients who report tinnitus actually seek treatment, and when treated, most patients commonly receive sound-based and educational (SBE) therapy. Additional treatment options are necessary, however, for nonauditory aspects of tinnitus (e.g., anxiety, depression, and significant interference with daily life) and when SBE therapy is inefficacious or inappropriate. This paper provides a comprehensive review of (1) conventional tinnitus treatments and (2) promising complementary therapies that have demonstrated some benefit for severe dysfunction from tinnitus. While there has been no systematic study of the benefits of an Integrative Medicine approach for severe tinnitus, the current paper reviews emerging evidence suggesting that synergistic combinations of complementary therapies provided within a whole-person framework may augment SBE therapy and empower patients to exert control over their tinnitus symptoms without the use of medications, expensive devices, or extended programs.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use among Patients with Chronic Tinnitus

“…However there is no evidence that such methods have reduced tinnitus or associated stress in the literature. Many of these approaches have been shown to benefit some tinnitus sufferers, but none have shown efficacy in the majority of tinnitus patients [2,3,19]. CAM is defined by the NCCAM as a group of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices, and products that are not normally considered to be conventional medicine.…”

“…Tinnitus as a public health problem has been reported in approximately 10 to 25% in the general population and in 1 to 2%, tinnitus is severe enough to impair daily life significantly [1,2]. Although it is a common condition, patients may turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) when medical treatment cannot be relieved due to the lack of effective pharmacological treatment [3,4].…”

Translation of Personification Majas in the Poetry of Indonesian Language into English (Analysis of Contents of 5 Poems in June Rain by Sapardi Djoko Damono in Before Dawn by John H. McGlynn)

“…[13] IM proved effective in treating many diseases e.g. chronic low back pain patients, [14] tinnitus [15] and developmental and behavioral disorders. [16] Pediatric IM practitioners are increasing in number throughout USA due to improvements in patients' health outcomes to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder including dietary therapies, nutritional supplements, environmental hygiene and neurological feedback.…”

Attitudes towards and personal use of complementary and alternative medicine amongst clinicians working in audiovestibular disciplines

“…In the UK, a review of large scale surveys indicated a mean one year prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine uptake in adults of 39.9 per cent (range, 10–100 per cent), and a mean lifetime prevalence of 58.7 per cent (range, 44–71 per cent) 4 . The use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with audiovestibular symptoms and disorders has been noted, specifically in cases of imbalance, 5 tinnitus 6 , 7 and hearing loss, 8 although to the authors’ knowledge there is no randomised controlled trial evidence to support any specific therapy.…”