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.