In early 2018 a patient of mine, a voice over actor, would sit in a studio for 10 or more hours a day with ear phones on. Eventually after prolonged acoustic exposure this gentleman (we can call him Ben) developed a high pitch disturbance in both ears. He noticed it mostly at night but eventually he began to hear the ringing during the day. Ben was frustrated with the symptoms of tinnitus which was resulting in poor sleep quality and work disturbances.
I explained to Ben during the initial consult that we would investigate his lifestyle habits, diet, exercise and past traumas. I went on to say that the tinnitus wouldn’t be resolved in one treatment but given his history and probable cause, that a series of treatments could certainly help. After following my recommendations Ben found substantial relief after a month of acupuncture treatments followed by maintenance once a week for 3 months.
WHAT IS TINNITUS?
Tinnitus is a distracting sensation of noise in the ears or head when no such external physical noise is present. It may be ringing, buzzing, roaring, whistling or hissing sound. The noises vary in volume, pitch and frequency as well as their localization and can occur on one or both sides. It can happen suddenly for no apparent reason and cause great distress to the sufferer or sneak up gradually over years.
The cause of tinnitus can be hard to determine. Numerous factors increase risk, including loud noise exposure, infections in the ear or sinuses, hearing loss, Meniere’s disease, excess ear wax, direct trauma to the head, high blood pressure, dental problems, inadvertent reactions to aspirin, antibiotics or other medications, neck problems and tension around the jaw joint (TMJ), inner ear trauma, autoimmune processes and side effects of chronic or degenerative diseases. Psychological stress and physical stress which may be caused by pain, pathology, infection or overall deterioration of general health, can contribute to the development of tinnitus.
ACUPUNCTURE FOR TINNITUS
Acupuncture can help with tinnitus. The results vary depending on how advanced the tinnitus actually is. The chances of acupuncture being effective in the case of an elderly person with tinnitus is significantly less than in the case of a younger person. However, with my approach, I do not simply focus on the tinnitus symptoms – I will investigate the root cause.
CONTACT US! ACUPUNCTURE FOR TINNITUS IN SURREY, BC
If you’d like to chat about whether acupuncture may be beneficial for your particular condition, or if you’d like to talk about other treatment recommendations, feel free to give me a call.
