Compare Tinnitus Treatments

Which tinnitus treatment is the best?

By Rafaele Joudry

Introduction

When you are looking for a tinnitus solution it can be mind boggling trying to work out which treatments really work, especially while you have that constant ringing in your ears.

Today I am going to show you how to compare different tinnitus treatments and decide which ones may be worth trying for you. I will share with you many valuable pointers I have discovered for evaluating different tinnitus treatment programs.

The Problem: how to compare

When you have tinnitus you have probably either been told nothing will help, or have tried several things that haven’t helped. You may have heard of numerous treatments claiming to be very effective. How can you know if these claims are true? In addition, how can you know which ones will suit your lifestyle? Because each practitioner or seller has something to gain by your choosing their system, it is very hard to get comparative data on different methods. I understand that you are hesitant to embark on a program that may be expensive or time consuming unless you have a very good reason to think it will work.

Potential solutions

One way to address this issue is to ask your doctor. You would think that since doctors are expertly trained in medical matters, he or she should know. The drawback is that most GPs have little experience actually treating tinnitus, and usually follow the standard medical line that nothing can be done for it. Unless your doctor suffers from tinnitus, he or she has likely done very little research on the latest treatments.

Another approach would be to ask another tinnitus sufferer. If you happen to find a tinnitus sufferer who got a result, you will probably feel inclined to try what they tried. However, there are some limitations to this method. One is that basing your decision on just one person’s experience is not very scientific. The other is that each tinnitus sufferer tends to be very unique. Tinnitus has many causes and is not straightforward, like a pulled muscle or a broken bone, so one persons success may not work for someone else.

A more scientific approach to the problem

When comparing different methods, it is important to take several things into account. For example:

1.     Is this treatment based on medical science or just a fly by night theory?

2. Has it been tested by large numbers of qualified practitioners?
3. Has it proved effective for a large percentage of tinnitus sufferers?
4. What are the criteria making it likely to work for any particular person?
5. Has it stood the test of time or is it brand new with unknown long term effects?
6. Have those who use it generally found that it is worth the investment they made?
7. How much will it disrupt my lifestyle?
8. Is it available in my locality?

Keep reading, to learn how the various methods measure up on these and even more specific questions.

I have gone to some lengths to get the comparative information all tinnitus sufferers need to gain successful recovery. If up until now you have been blindly stabbing at this or that treatment, hoping it will work, perhaps it is time you made a more careful assessment and based your recovery plan on factual information.

Let me explain why I feel I am in a position to bring you a broader and more useful range of information. Having worked with tinnitus sufferers now for over 20 years, you could say I am a specialist in this field. I have spoken to and served close to twenty thousand individuals seeking help with ear related problems. In that time I have been informed of most of the problems and solutions that people have found. I don’t just concentrate on one treatment method, but listen closely and encourage people to find their right mix. Because I come from a natural health background I strongly believe in synergy. That means that several things together are many times more powerful than any one of them alone.

My e-book, Triumph Over Tinnitus, takes into account the fact that tinnitus sufferers are skeptical, unique and in need of real solutions. It gives detailed information to enable you to decide which systems best match your symptoms and needs.

Now here is a brief summary of each of the methods that according to my research have real validity and have made a difference to numerous people.

(The next segment of this course will give you a self assessment tool so you can determine which of these methods may be most suitable for you.)

A.                Sound Therapy

This is a portable self help listening program designed originally by the French ear specialist, Dr Alfred Tomatis. You listen through headphones to specially filtered classical music with enhanced high frequencies to improve ear functionality. This method improves ear and brain health by enhancing both the mechanical part of the ear and the neurological auditory pathways. Therefore it is not just providing a band aid, but really addressing the cause of the problem in most cases. In this way Sound Therapy is quite unique, as no other treatment provides this same sort of direct rehabilitation to the ear. Most types of tinnitus respond well to this treatment, whether caused by physical injury, lazy ear muscles or cilia damage through noise exposure. It is important to take the program at the right pace for your individual state of health, and the self help guide that comes with the program supports you to do this.

B.                Cognitive therapy

This is a very powerful method of therapy which puts you in charge of your thinking so you can consciously change your reactions to different situations. By learning to change your reaction to your tinnitus, you interrupt the vicious cycle of stress and despair which generally makes tinnitus worse. This method is part of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, along with noise generators which mask the sound. However, cognitive therapy can be learned form any qualified counsellor or professional trained in tinnitus treatment. If you are prone to negative thinking, depression or repetitive thoughts, this method is likely to be particularly helpful.

C.                Relaxation techniques

There is a wide variety of effective relaxation techniques including meditation, tai chi, yoga, autogenics and more. It requires consistent discipline to learn such techniques to a level that will reduce a physical condition like tinnitus. It is usually necessary to take courses and apply yourself to extended practice. The benefits may go a lot further than just reducing your tinnitus. In fact these techniques can have many of the same benefits of cognitive therapy and may take you further on your healing path. They may also be very economical if you choose a technique supported by an ancient history of training and run by voluntary organizations.

D.                Body work

There is such a variety of body work modalities to choose from: massage, chiropractic, osteopathy, Alexander technique, Feldnkrais, cranio sacral, Traeger and more. Rather than just trying one, it is important to find something you love. If general muscular tension is part of your tinnitus pattern, this may help. Tinnitus is closely related to stress, and sometimes neck and shoulder tension in particular will make it worse, so addressing that tension is necessary to create conditions where your tinnitus can heal.

E.                 Dietary changes

The field of food sensitivities and nutrition is very complex and must be explored in depth, especially if you find you have intractable tinnitus which may be related to your general health. I cant go into this detail now, but a whole chapter in my book Triumph Over Tinnitus is devoted to nutrition and holistic health.

F.                 Supplements

It is essential to get the right supplements to cover all your nutritional bases to rebuild the strength and balance of your ear. In my book I explain why simply taking gingko is not necessarily the answer and how to ensure that you do get the right mix and quality of supplements for maximum ear health. I also explain why when you undertake a program such as Sound Therapy, you need to physically support your ears with extra nutrients at the same time to optimize your results.

G.                Lifestyle change

This may be easier said than done, but perhaps your tinnitus is a message that you need to take drastic action. Don’t overlook this option that the alarm bells may be highlighting.

What is not included

You will notice that I have not included tinnitus maskers or desensitization listening devices. While I do not wish to criticize any other company’s products, I have looked into most devices available, and I truly believe that compared to other sound generating devices, Sound Therapy is more effective, convenient and better value for money than anything else on offer. Some of my reasons for this can be seen on the attached chart.

I have also not included any drugs. This is because there is not a drug that has been found both safe and widely effective for tinnitus. In fact more drugs are known to cause tinnitus than to cure it! In a future instalment of this course I will cover information on ototoxic (toxic to the ear) drugs to be avoided.

Comparison chart

I have attached a chart detailing each method and how it compares on a range of criteria. To make it easy to read, the green squares indicate the most positive qualities.  

Because, in my experience, Sound Therapy forms the heart of most successful treatment combinations, here are some of the important comparison criteria to consider.

How does Sound Therapy compare?

Great value              As a portable self help program, Sound Therapy gives you the autonomy to treat yourself at minimal expense with what may be one of the potentially most effective tinnitus treatments ever found.

Can be done at home           Not just at home, but during just about any daily activity, or even during sleep. The convenience and portability make this program one of the easiest personal development tools you will ever apply.

Potential side effects             The only potential side effects from Sound Therapy are positive, as the program rejuvenates the function of your entire auditory system, and also recharges the cortex of your brain, leading to better energy, deeper sleep and greater clarity of thinking. While you may get some initial tiredness or soreness in the ears, these are part of the adjustment of the healing process and are classed as growing pains, not side effects.

Physically invasive            Sound Therapy is completely safe and natural, simply stimulating the ear with sound. There is no risky surgery or drug taking involved.

Analogue mastering            Our program is now unique in the world, providing sound made and processed with true analogue mastering, which is essential nourishment for the nervous system, while virtually every other recorded sound now on sale is fully digital from woe to go.

Directly addresses physiological cause                       Because Sound Therapy works to rehabilitate every stage of hearing and sound processing from the outer ear canal, through the middle ear bones and muscles, the sensory hair cells in the inner ear, the auditory nerve pathways, the cerebellum and the auditory cortex (brain centres involved with sound processing), whatever the cause of your tinnitus, Sound Therapy has a very good chance of impacting it directly.

On-going treatment at no extra cost    Once you purchase your Sound Therapy program there are no extra, hidden, ongoing costs. You can use the program for years and years and continue to benefit. The more you use it, the more you benefit at no extra cost, though advanced packs are available for those who want more variety. You pay no practitioner fees, travel costs, evaluation costs or rental costs.  

Energizes cortex of brain              Dr Tomatis discovered that high frequency sound may be beneficial not just for the ears but for the brain. Many experts now agree that the major source of tinnitus is the brain. As well as possible relief from tinnitus, many Sound Therapy listeners find their brain function and energy levels improve with Sound Therapy.

Based on 50 years of clinical experience            The Ear specialist, Dr Alfred Tomatis devoted his life’s work to developing Sound Therapy. He treated thousands of patients and was renowned in Europe for his dedication and discoveries, being honoured by the French academies of medicine and science. His discoveries were verified at the Sorbonne University. Sound Therapy International has now been distributing a portable version of his therapy for over twenty years and has added a wealth of clinical knowledge to Tomatis’s basic discoveries.

ATTENTION:

Sound Therapy does not include any medical assessments and should not be viewed as a substitute to getting a qualified medical opinion.

In Summary

My conclusion is that Sound Therapy is the most effective, affordable, and convenient method which should form the core of tinnitus treatment for the majority of clients. However, for certain individuals, combining several treatments may make recovery more complete and effective. Our support literature includes plenty of information on companion treatments which may need to be combined with Sound Therapy to maximize your results.

More information