Tinnitus Acupuncture

 Tinnitus is a condition where a patient could hear a ringing sound in their ear. This could be caused by too much exposure to a high level of sound, by a severe head injury or natural cause of hearing impairment. It is often a very frustrating health problem for many people. Up to 18% of the general population in industrialized countries is mildly affected by chronic tinnitus and for 0.5%, tinnitus has a severe effect on their ability to lead a normal life. Most tinnitus patients become tired of many visits to the doctor and drug therapies that do not give them any relief so a lot have been searching for alternatives like acupuncture. This leads many to try tinnitus acupuncture.

How Acupuncture Can Help Cure Tinnitus

Controlled trials conducted more recently (Tan 2007, Okada 2006, Azevedo 2007, Jackson 2006) have all found acupuncture to provide effective relief from tinnitus, with one finding it more effective than western medicine (Tan 2007). Here is how acupuncture can help relieve tinnitus:

ü  acting on the cochlea, specifically on the contractile activity of outer hair cells (Azevedo 2007)

ü  acting on the function of the efferent olivocochlear system to suppress otoacoustic emissions (Azevedo  2007)

ü  altering the brain’s chemistry, increasing neuropeptide Y levels (Lee 2009; Cheng 2009), and reducing serotonin levels (Zhou 2008)

ü  reducing inflammation, by promoting release of vascular and immunomodulatory actors (Kavoussi 2007, Zijlstra 2003)

ü  increasing local microcirculation (Komori 2009), which aids dispersal of swelling

Curing Tinnitus through tinnitus acupuncture is possible and has been done, but works better if you find the cause of tinnitus first. It is rather advised to find out what is the cause of Tinnitus first before treating the situation by tinnitus acupuncture. This can range from lifestyle issues such as loud music to complex nervous system issues. Look at your own life and try to assess how you might be contributing towards your Tinnitus problem.