Shiatsu for Tinnitus

Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a traditional Japanese treatment. Shiatsu practitioners believe that a vital energy - 'ki' - flows throughout your body, in a series of channels called meridians. For many different reasons, the ki can stop flowing freely, and this results in illness or symptoms of an illness.
The shiatsu practitioner gently holds and presses on your meridians with their palms, thumbs, fingers, elbows, knees and feet. When necessary, they may use more vigorous stimulation. It is thought that shiatsu works by stimulating your circulation and helping to release toxins and deep-seated tensions in your body.

There are many treatments that are effective for tinnitus resulting from a particular cause, but none are effective in every case. Conversely, tinnitus may resolve without any treatment. Effective treatments include:

Objective tinnitus:
Gamma knife radiosurgery (glomus jugulare)
Shielding of cochlea by teflon implant
Botulinum toxin (palatal tremor)
Propranolol and clonazepam (arterial anatomic variation)
Subjective tinnitus:
Drugs and nutrients
Lidocaine, injection into the inner ear found to surpress the tinnitus for 20 minutes, according to a Swedish study.
Benzodiazepines (xanax, ativan, klonopin)
Avoidance of caffeine, nicotine, salt
Avoidance of or consumption of alcohol
Zinc supplementation (where serum zinc deficiency is present)
Acamprosate
Etidronate or sodium fluoride (otosclerosis)
Lignocaine or anticonvulsants (usually in patients responsive to white noise masking)
Carbemazepine
Melatonin (especially for those with sleep disturbance)
Sertraline
Vitamin combinations (lipo-flavonoid)
Electrical stimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation or transcranial direct current stimulation
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
Direct stimulation of auditory cortex by implanted electrodes
Surgery
Repair of perilymph fistula
External sound
Low-pitched sound treatment has shown some positive, encouraging results.(UC, Irvine press release)
Tinnitus masking (white noise)
Tinnitus retraining therapy
Auditive stimulation therapy (music therapy)
Compensation for lost frequencies by use of a hearing aid.
Ultrasonic bone-conduction external acoustic stimulation
Avoidance of outside noise (exogenous tinnitus)
Psychological
Cognitive behavior therapy

Although there are no specific cures for tinnitus, anything that brings the person out of the "fight or flight" stress response helps symptoms recede over a period of time. Calming body-based therapies, counseling and psychotherapy help restore well-being, which in turn allows tinnitus to settle. Chronic tinnitus can be quite stressful psychologically, as it distracts the affected individual from mental tasks and interferes with sleep, particularly when there is no external sound. Additional steps in reducing the impact of tinnitus on adverse health consequences include: a review of medications that may have tinnitus as a side effect; a physical exam to reveal possible underlying health conditions that may aggravate tinnitus; receiving adequate rest each day; and seeking a physician's advice concerning a sleep aid to allow for a better sleep pattern.

Alternative Therapies for Tinnitus

Craniosacral therapy
Craniosacral therapy is similar to cranial osteopathy. It aims to treat gently any imbalances in your brain and spinal cord, and the fluids that surround them, using gentle touch. Craniosacral therapy helps your fluids and related soft tissue move naturally and so helps your body to heal itself.
Reflexology
Reflexology works on the principle that points on your feet represent energy pathways to different parts of your body. Blockages in these energy pathways are thought to lead to illness or imbalance. By working on particular points on your feet, the reflexologist aims to clear these blockages.

For tinnitus

Osteopathy
An osteopath manipulates, stretches and massages the affected parts of your body with their hands to correct any imbalances. Osteopathy is used to treat back and joint pain, rheumatic conditions and sports injuries.
Cranial osteopathy
Cranial osteopathy is a type of osteopathic treatment that aims to release stress and tensions throughout your body. Stress and tension disrupts the body's cranial rhythm. This is a very subtle rhythm that is present in all body tissues. Practitioners compare your rhythm to what they think is ideal. This helps them find the stresses and strains in your body. The cranial osteopath gently manipulates your skull, spinal column and sacral area (the area in your lower back) to help restore the correct balance.

Hypnosis and hypnotherapy for Tinnitus

Hypnosis and hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is a state of intense relaxation and concentration. When you are hypnotised you are not asleep or unconscious. It is thought that your mind becomes remote and detached from daily care and concerns when you are in this state, and the subconscious part of your mind responds creatively to any suggestions.
Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis as a treatment. It can help you focus on things you wish to change, and on the best ways to do it. There are two main types:- suggestion therapy and analytical therapy.
Suggestion therapy is generally used to treat simple problems, such as smoking and nail biting. You will probably need one or two sessions of treatment.
Analytical therapy is based on the principle that every effect or symptom must have a cause. It is usually a long-term treatment, where the hypnotherapist builds a relationship with you and helps you look at and get rid of the 'subconscious' cause of your condition. By doing this, they hope to reduce the severity of your symptoms.

Homeopathy for Tinnitus

Homeopathy aims to help the body to heal itself. It is based on the principle that symptoms are the body's defences and need to be encouraged to develop rather than being suppressed. When deciding on a treatment for you, the homeopath aims to find a remedy that in high doses produces symptoms similar to those of your condition. You then take this remedy in a very diluted form.

Herbals and Ginko Biloba

Herbal medicine
Herbal medicine or herbalism involves using plants to prevent and treat illness. The herbalist aims to treat both the symptoms you are getting and the underlying cause of your condition. They prescribe herbs in different forms including tablets, powders and ointments. You can choose between Chinese or Western herbalism.

Ginko Biloba
You may have read about the herb Ginko Biloba and its effects on tinnitus. Clinical trails have not shown conclusively that Ginko Biloba helps people with tinnitus.

Chiropractic for Tinnitus

A chiropractor diagnoses and treats conditions linked to problems of the spine, which can lead to irritation of the nerves that control your posture and movement. Chiropractors use their hands to gently adjust and manipulate stiff joints and tight muscles, especially those of the spine. This helps realign the spine and other joints, and helps to restore nerve function, reduce pain, improve mobility, and promote health and feelings of wellbeing.
Chiropractic is used to treat arthritic and rheumatic conditions, whiplash or sports injuries, and their effects on the nervous system.

Aromatherapy for Tinnitus

An aromatherapist uses a range of essential plant oils to help relax you, restore your emotional wellbeing, increase energy levels, and reduce your stress. The oils are diluted (in their natural form, they can irritate your skin) and massaged into your skin. They can also be inhaled.
You should get advice before using any essential oils yourself, especially if you are pregnant or have an illness.

Acupuncture May Help Tinnitus

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese therapy. It uses very fine needles, which are inserted into precise points around your body. The most you will feel is a sensation as the needle goes into your skin.
Acupuncturists believe that the body has a life or energy force - or "qi" - which flows around your body in channels, called meridians. Each meridian is associated with a particular organ. The chronic over- or under-activity of any of these meridians is thought to cause a particular organ to work less effectively, resulting in illness. Acupuncture works by stimulating your body's own healing responses and getting rid of any imbalance of qi.

Tinnitus Complementary Therapy Cost

Will I have to pay for complementary therapies?
Complementary therapies are generally not available on the NHS and you will usually have to pay for treatments yourself. It's also important to remember that you may need a course of treatments, rather than a one-off treatment.
Some GPs and physiotherapists do offer complementary therapy, such as acupuncture, homeopathy and massage. There are also some specialist NHS homeopathic hospitals in some parts of the UK.

We take our ears and hearing for granted until something goes a miss. Ringing in the ears is known as tinnitus and acupuncture takes a treatment approach of looking for the underlying cause.

Tinnitus and Acupuncture
Tinnitus is the name given to ringing in the ears. One of the strange things about tinnitus is that even Western Medicine does not consider it a disease or a condition, but rather a symptom. When you compare two lists of causes for this condition, one listing the causes as seen from a Western Medicine point of view and the other from a Traditional Chinese Medicine point of view, you will get a pretty good idea of how far apart these two disciplines can really be in some cases.

The Western Medicine list contains more items. They range from trauma to earwax. One of the problems in tinnitus is that it is very hard to measure because the only way it can be observed is from the reports of the sufferer. There is a certain type of tinnitus that can actually be heard by the examiner, but this is uncommon and related to muscle spasms within the ear. This is known as objective tinnitus. In other rare cases, the noise is like a pulse and this is called pulsatile tinnitus. This condition is usually related to increased blood flow around the ear or sometimes simply patient awareness of the pulse of blood flowing near the ear.
The majority of cases are subjective tinnitus.

This is a ringing noise where the exact cause is unknown. Chinese Medicine sees it as a common result of internal disruptions of the flow of qi. They see four or five different causes and each one suggests a different acupuncture treatment to alleviate it. Emotional strain, anger and frustration can lead to excess LV fire or LV rising. Excessive sadness and grief can cause weak chest qi that does not rise to the head. Excessive sex or overwork can weaken KD Jing, as can old age. Dietary habits and trauma each have their own results and therefore suggest their own treatment.

This look at how acupuncture might be used to treat tinnitus also illustrates the problem with most clinical studies that attempt to measure the success rates of acupuncture treatments. In most clinical studies, certain acupuncture points will be selected. If the studies are attempting to be fair, the points will be points that have had some past success in the treatment of the condition. However, if the cause is different in each patient and ranges from excessive sexual activity to grief, it is plain that each patient is going to have his own set of acupuncture points.
Another problem with the studies is that acupuncture is only one part of what is usually a complete program that includes the administration of herbs and advice on diet and lifestyle issues.

It is only when the entire program is followed that results can be expected. There is no doubt that acupuncture for tinnitus can produce results, but proving it in clinical studies is a bit complex. This is part of what leads to the resistance of some Western doctors to recommend it as an alternative treatment.

Before complementary therapy for tinnitus, do this:

Before you start on a course of complementary therapy:
tell your GP about the therapy you are thinking of starting, especially if you are taking conventional medicine to help manage your tinnitus. They may be able to tell you if that therapy is available on the NHS
make sure you use a qualified practitioner who is registered with the relevant professional body. A good practitioner should be happy to work with treatment recommended by your GP to help you manage your tinnitus.

Reach a sense of control using alternative therapies

Complementary therapies - also known as alternative therapies - are now widely accepted and used by many people. Complementary practitioners aim to treat you holistically - working with you as a whole person. As well as treating the symptoms of your condition, they will ask you about your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing to find out how these are affecting your health.
Complementary therapies may help you relax and get to sleep more easily. This in turn can help reduce stress, which may help your tinnitus. This is because there is a strong link between tinnitus and stress. Muscle tension, anxiety and irritability that result from stress can make your tinnitus worse, which can in turn lead to an increase in stress - a vicious cycle. See our factsheets Tinnitus and relaxation and Tinnitus and sleep for more information.
Many practitioners of complementary therapies spend time talking to you about your symptoms and your tinnitus and aim to build a good relationship with you. This can have a positive affect in itself, as talking about your tinnitus to a sympathetic listener is often therapeutic. Overall, you may gain a sense of control over your tinnitus.

Which therapies are best for tinnitus?
There is no clear-cut answer. You may even find that some people question whether complementary medicine has any role in tinnitus management. However, there is very little conclusive evidence to prove or disprove the usefulness of any particular therapy. Although there is no evidence to prove it, it is thought they work by helping you to relax and sleep. Different therapies suit different people so it is a case of try it and see. If it works for you, use it, but be wary of leaping from one type to another in the hope of finding the 'miracle cure'.
Below is a summary of some complementary medicines that are more widely available. It is not a complete list and it doesn't recommend these treatments above any others. These therapies have been chosen to give you an idea of the range of complementary medicines that can be used in tinnitus management. These include:
acupuncture
aromatherapy
chiropractic
herbal medicine
homeopathy
hypnosis and hypnotherapy
osteopathy
reflexology
shiatsu.

Wearing earplugs or earmuffs

Is it a good idea to use earplugs or earmuffs?
Some people with hyperacusis tend to use devices such as earplugs or earmuffs to block out sound. Your audiology specialist may refer to these as ‘attenuators’. Although these may provide temporary relief, in the long-term they can undo any progress you are making to adapt to sound and they may even make hyperacusis worse.
However, if you are exposed to loud sounds for a long time, for example in your job, this can make hyperacusis worse. Therefore, you may find it helps to wear special ‘active’ electronic sound attenuators and musicians’ earplugs if you work in a noisy place.

How to help yourself if you have hyperacusis

If you have hyperacusis there are several things you can do:
Try not to wear earmuffs or earplugs unless you really need to, and then only for short periods of time (see below for more information).
Try not to avoid situations where you might hear sounds that will cause you discomfort.
Try to avoid being in a completely quiet environment. It is important to try and listen to everyday sounds, as a quiet environment tends to make hyperacusis worse.

This program helps!

An auditory desensitization program will be more effective if you follow a behavior modification program at the same time. A clinical psychologist can help design an individual program for you. This aims to break down any routines that you may have developed to avoid noisy situations. It should also help you control the anxiety patterns that you may have developed because of the pain and distress caused by certain sounds.

Auditory desensitisation

As part of your treatment for hyperacusis you may be offered auditory desensitisation as part of an auditory retraining programme. This should be available through an audiology department and is usually carried out by an audiologist or hearing therapist.
It aims to help improve the level of noise you can tolerate and involves listening to different types of sound known as ‘white’, ‘broadband ‘or ‘pink’ noise on a daily basis. This is played through small noise generators which you wear in your ear canal. You start by listening to a very low level of noise for a very short time. The level and length of time is gradually increased. Some people may find this gives them initial relief, but auditory desensitisation is usually a long process and you may need to follow this treatment for at least 12 months to get a long-term positive effect.

What kind of treatment is available for hyperacuses?

If you think you have hyperacusis you should visit your GP.
They may refer you to a specialist in audiology/audiological medicine or the ear, nose and throat (ENT) department in your local hospital. They will be able to investigate your hearing system to try to find a cause for your hyperacusis and to advise you on the most appropriate treatment.
You may need specialised hearing therapy, usually from a hearing therapist. You may also be referred to a clinical psychologist or behavioural therapist to help you manage the anxiety, phobia, stress and avoidance, which are associated with hyperacusis and may make it worse.

What causes hyperacusis?

There are probably a number of different causes of hyperacusis but researchers don’t really have a clear understanding of why some people have it. It is possible that some functions of the hearing system, which normally ‘balance’ sounds and protect the system, may be affected.
When you are in a noisy environment your brain sends 'information' about loud noise back to the inner ear, so that the 'volume' can be turned down and the inner ear can be protected. It is thought that damage to this feedback mechanism may be an underlying cause of hyperacusis.
Our brain also plays a vital role in processing the sound signals it receives from the inner ear. Problems in the way these signals are processed could be another cause of hyperacusis.We do know that some people first develop hyperacusis after sudden exposure to very high levels of sound or after a head injury. This may damage delicate structures within the inner ear, which could lead to hyperacusis.

What does hyperacusis feel like?

What does it feel like to have hyperacusis?
If you have hyperacusis it might feel painful or startling. It may make you feel angry, distressed or anxious. You may find yourself panicking when you try to get away from the sound.
You may find that after being exposed to an uncomfortable sound the discomfort continues for a period of time afterwards and becomes worse if you hear the sound again.
Your reaction to an uncomfortable sound may be made worse if you are in an environment where you expect to hear the sound. When you are afraid of hearing a sound, you may become anxious, which increases your discomfort, and when you are afraid or stressed the brain produces substances, which increase the sensitivity to sound.
However, everyone reacts differently to hyperacusis.

This is Hyperacusis

What is hyperacusis?
If you have hyperacusis you will have an increased sensitivity to sounds. This means that you may feel pain or discomfort when you hear sounds that most people are able to tolerate. People with hyperacusis are not all affected by the same type of sounds.
You can get hyperacusis on its own or with a range of other conditions such as depression, migraine, Menière's disease, chronic fatigue syndrome and visual over-sensitivity.
If you have hyperacusis you may also have tinnitus. This is the word for noises that some people hear in the ears or in the head - buzzing, ringing, whistling, hissing and other sounds.
You may also find that the area around your ear is painful or aches.