Effect of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture on Severe Tinnitus: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Investigation with Open Therapeutic Control

• Published in: British journal of audiology Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 197 - 204
• Main Authors: Vilholm, Ole J., Møller, Kitty, Jørgensen, Karsten
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Informa UK, Ltd 01-06-1998; Taylor & Francis; Whurr
• Subjects: Acupuncture; Acupuncture Therapy - methods; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Chinese; Cross-Over Studies; Denmark; Diseases of the ear; Double blind studies; Double-Blind Method; Ent and stomatology; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Middle Aged; placebo-controlled; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); randomized; Severe; Severity of Illness Index; Tinnitus; Tinnitus - diagnosis; Tinnitus - etiology; Tinnitus - therapy; Treatment; Asia; China; Human; Audiometry; Evaluation scale; Treatment efficiency; Auditory disorder; Double blind study; ENT disease; Tinnitus; Acupuncture
• ISSN: 0300-5364
• DOI: 10.3109/03005364000000063

Abstract
This study aims to determine the effect of intensive acupuncture on severe tinnitus. The structure of the study was a randomized, double-blind, clinical investigation with open therapeutic surveillance and included 54 patients. All were subjected to 25 treatment sessions over a period of two months, each treatment lasting 30 minutes. Fifty-two patients completed the study. The variables used for self-registration were based on the visual analogue scale (VAS), where annoyance, loudness and awareness of the tinnitus were assessed. These were recorded twice daily over a four-month period starting one month before the first treatment and ending one month after the last treatment. Questionnaires, interviews and audiometry were carried out repeatedly. No statistically significant differences were found between the acupuncture group and the placebo group.