Alternative Therapies for Tinnitus
Alternative therapies may provide relief for people living with tinnitus, including sound masking, counseling and tinnitus retraining therapy. Other treatment methods may also be utilized such as hearing aids and medication.
Dietary changes that reduce symptoms of tinnitus include cutting back on caffeine, alcohol and salt consumption; yoga, mindfulness meditation and acupuncture can also help ease stress and anxiety that contributes to tinnitus symptoms.
Bimodal therapy
Bimodal therapy uses sound and vibration to combat tinnitus. It combines tones from your tinnitus with wrist haptic stimulation in order to lessen perceptions of it and has proven itself successful at alleviating its severity in people living with severe tinnitus, while simultaneously alleviating stress and anxiety which worsen it further. Treatment centers such as some private hearing clinics provide this form of bimodal therapy as an option.
The Lenire device is an FDA-approved, noninvasive, low-risk tinnitus therapy device proven effective at relieving symptoms in controlled trials. CE marked in Europe and FDA approved in the U.S., its study evaluated two groups – one receiving sound only and the other tones combined with spatially and temporally correlated vibration on wrist – each having different treatment endpoints with THI score reduction at end of 6-week treatment period being primary performance endpoint with effect size measured via Cohen’s d.
Both arms of the study demonstrated significant increases in THI scores, but experimental group experienced greater increases. This may indicate that sounds and vibration together were more effective than tones alone in treating tinnitus symptoms; additionally, patients suffering from more severe cases experienced even greater benefits from bimodal stimulation.
This study was the first to test the hypothesis that combining tones and haptic stimulation on the wrist would work just as effectively as single tones, as well as challenge the assumption that tones must converge at the dorsal cochlear nucleus to reduce tinnitus. Subsequent research proved this theory incorrect as researchers discovered tones combined with haptic stimulation worked just as efficiently even without this connection to reduce tinnitus symptoms.
Although these therapies are effective, they take time to take effect. Therefore, it’s essential to discuss all your treatment options with your doctor first before beginning. They may suggest behavioral or tinnitus retraining therapy combined with another technique in order to develop coping strategies and decrease your reaction to your tinnitus so it won’t feel overwhelming or oppressive. You might find solace by sharing experiences through online or local support groups.
Behavioral therapy
Behavioral therapy can be an effective means of managing tinnitus, helping you find ways to pay less attention to it while focusing on what matters more. You’ll learn techniques for dealing with its emotional impact as well as ways to reduce your stress level and enhance sleep quality. A good place to begin this journey is through joining a support group – both online and local groups offer information and allow participants to share experiences.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has proven itself an effective form of psychotherapy for treating depression and anxiety. CBT involves identifying automatic dysfunctional thoughts, reframing them to promote emotional well-being and thus decrease stress levels. While CBT may provide relief for tinnitus sufferers, it will not stop it entirely.
Behavior therapies also can include sound therapy and tinnitus retraining therapy. With sound therapy, a patient listens to soothing noise that covers up the tinnitus signal; this allows his or her brain to learn to ignore it over time. Sound therapy sessions may be delivered by trained audiologists or specialists in managing tinnitus; an audiologist might even recommend special devices – either over-the-ear earplugs or hearing aids equipped with built-in tinnitus sound generators – that mask its signal and help train it out.
CBT differs from other forms of management approaches in that it does not try to alter the loudness or pitch of tinnitus; rather, its focus lies in teaching patients how to manage their reactions to it and distract themselves from its sound. By using validated outcome instruments to evaluate these therapies and assess whether they’re working effectively, CBT allows us to see exactly if these therapies are achieving success or not.
Behavioral therapies may not fall within your scope of practice; therefore, when seeking guidance for behavioral therapy options that fall outside this realm it may be beneficial to consult a mental health professional for guidance. While most audiologists can offer basic tinnitus management, an interdisciplinary approach may be more suitable when there are emotional or psychological concerns outside an audiologist’s purview – for instance when dealing with depressive symptoms that interfere with functional activities.
Masking devices
Masking devices provide soothing background sounds that help diminish or even eliminate the ringing sounds associated with tinnitus, such as white noise, pink noise or nature sounds. Some tinnitus masking devices combine hearing aid functionality with masker capabilities for optimal results while providing various sound options tailored specifically to their sufferer’s tinnitus type.
These devices may be particularly helpful at night or other quiet environments where tinnitus seems particularly prominent, although the research does not support their use as a therapy option for all. Music such as classical music, jazz or chanting may provide relief.
Other alternative treatments have included acupuncture, magnets and hypnosis; others find relief through vitamin supplements like Ginkgo Biloba Gingko and Zinc; however any changes should first be discussed with their healthcare provider before trying them.
Use of special headphones and goggles can also provide relief; for example, entering into a virtual videogame-like virtual world in which visual and auditory tasks must be completed to help train the brain to ignore its tinnitus noises is one method used as treatment; early studies show its efficacy.
An audiologist may recommend the use of a tinnitus masking device and counseling sessions for individuals suffering from persistent, disruptive tinnitus that significantly impacts their quality of life. Such programs involve providing patients with general pathophysiological information on tinnitus, teaching relaxation techniques and instructing in sound therapy using a masker device. Cochlear implants often used to treat severe deafness have also been found helpful by sending electrical signals directly into their inner ears thereby bypassing any damaged parts.
Some tinnitus sufferers find relief in reducing or eliminating alcohol, caffeine and nicotine from their diets. Preventative measures, including hearing protection in loud environments and listening to music with lower acoustic levels may also be effective. Finally, managing stress will likely decrease reactions to tinnitus sound making it less noticeable.
Tinnitus retraining therapy
Alternatively, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) could be the right answer to alleviate its impact on daily life. TRT involves counseling and sound therapy underpinned by neurophysiology to reduce negative responses associated with Tinnitus as well as decrease its intensity by weakening associated neuronal activity. A full TRT program usually lasts 12-24 months.
TRT (Tonal Response Therapy) is a sound-based treatment that takes advantage of the brain’s natural tendency to habituate to sounds. Through this process, signals reach conscious perception but do not reach subliminal processing – thus filtering out signals such as refrigerators, computer fans and rain without ever being heard as much by those receiving the therapy. TRT combines directed counseling and sound therapy in order to successfully treat its patients.
TRT includes a daily regimen in which listeners listen to neutral, low-level background noise such as white noise or soft music that provides neutral, low-level background noise, such as white noise or soft music. This sound should be played during both waking hours and night-time to provide above the threshold level noise needed to relieve tinnitus; for those with hearing issues ear-level sound generators may provide this sound source.
TRT therapy can be effective for individuals suffering from any form of tinnitus. It works by targeting connections between auditory system and other parts of the brain, and hyperacusis. Furthermore, its non-invasive nature means no parts need to be altered or removed from your body during this process.
Cognitive behavioral therapy and medication may also provide effective solutions. Counseling sessions can assist people in learning coping mechanisms to alleviate stress; psychologists or licensed mental health professionals may offer CBT individually or group sessions for patients of tinnitus; medications can reduce effects associated with anxiety or depression as well as help relax people and enhance sleep patterns.
Additionally, treatments include avoiding loud noises and restricting use of nicotine, caffeine, aspirin and alcohol; Acupuncture and biofeedback may be helpful; while many find comfort by joining support groups either online or locally.