Abstract
An effective acupuncture treatment must comprehend the influence of various factors, but studies in this aspect remain limited. This study aimed to identify relevant factors and search for the best practical method of acupuncture for patients with tinnitus. The study was a retrospective review of patients' data with a prospective design who had subjective idiopathic tinnitus and received acupuncture between May 2012 and August 2017. Patients' demographics, tinnitus characteristics, previous diseases, underlying diseases, oral habits, audiograms, acupuncture sessions, and acupoints were recorded and analyzed. A visual analog scale (VASloudness) was used for measuring the loudness of tinnitus, and the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale (CGI-I) was used for assessing the suffering of patients. Good treatment responses in patients were defined as the magnitude of change from the baseline VASloudness for ≥ 30% plus CGI-I ≤ 3 points. In total, 107 patients were enrolled. Most factors were not significantly associated with the treatment effectiveness of acupuncture in tinnitus patients. Only the combination of acupoints and the number of acupuncture sessions reached statistically significant differences. Further analyzing these two factors, we confirmed that the combination of periauricular and distal acupuncture and 17 to 24 acupuncture sessions contributed to a considerably better outcome. This result would serve as a reference for clinical acupuncturists to select an appropriate acupuncture strategy in the treatment of tinnitus.
Highlights
Tinnitus is the perception of annoying sound without external auditory stimuli
Tinnitus is a common symptom in adults, and it is more common in women than in men [3, 4]
Patients would be excluded from this study if they (1) had received 1 month during acupuncture treatment, and (3) had undergone other therapies, such as medications, surgery, and biofeedback therapy for tinnitus during the period of acupuncture therapy
Summary
Patients with tinnitus may have insomnia, anxiety, depression, inability to concentrate, and declining quality of life [1]. Severe tinnitus may lead to serious mental illness and suicidal tendencies [2]. Tinnitus is a common symptom in adults, and it is more common in women than in men [3, 4]. Most patients have subjective tinnitus, and approximately half of the patients suffer from bilateral attacks. The frequency of tinnitus increases with age and peaks between 60 and 69 years of age [4]. Among 0.5% of the affected individuals, the effects of tinnitus are so severe that leading a normal life is impossible [6]. Only approximately 20% of patients who experience tinnitus seek appropriate treatments [8]
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