Tinnitus (ear ringing) treatment

Devices suitable for treating tinnitus

Several devices from the Danish company Energy-Laser may be suitable for tinnitus treatment: due to their design, the Personal Laser L400 and the Energy Laser L500 Pro can be used for tinnitus treatment without any additional accessories. These devices can deliver a large amount of energy into the ear canal in a short time, which is a basic requirement for successful treatment.

Before the treatment

Only treat if a doctor has diagnosed the tinnitus and excluded the possibility of an acoustic neuroma or otosclerosis.

The ear canal must be thoroughly cleaned; earwax should be removed before treatment.

Treat in a comfortable seated position and wear the protective goggles supplied with the device.

Start by treating one ear: go through phase 1 and then phase 2. Afterwards perform the same on the other ear.

Laser treatment of tinnitus – Phase 1

The first task is to treat the acupuncture points around the ear. Turn on the softlaser and treat the points shown in the figure with 3–4 beeps/point energy.

Place your device perpendicular to the skin surface and hold it there until the device has delivered the required amount of energy.

The difference between individual devices is in their "strength", i.e. the amount of emitted energy. The more powerful a device, the shorter the time needed to deliver the same energy.

Each recommended device beeps once every 10 seconds. Based on the power and the energy required for the treatment you can calculate when to move the applicator to the next point.

Treat the points shown in the figure, in the order of the points.

Laser treatment of tinnitus - Phase 2

The second phase treats the inner ear through the ear canal. Its goal is to improve the circulation of the inner ear.

Important: Do not use a light-focusing attachment, i.e. do not have an optical accessory on the device. If one is attached, remove it.

Direct the laser beam directly into the ear canal.

The required energy is 30–40 Joules.

Tinnitus treatment with softlaser

This is a long time and "a lot of energy." While "illuminating" the ear canal, move your device very slowly but continuously. Tilt your device a few degrees and make small circular motions with the tip. This is necessary so that the energy does not hit a single spot but reaches different parts of the inner ear. When the treatment time has elapsed, repeat the entire procedure on the other ear.

During laser therapy some patients perceive heat, popping or the sound of "vascular tubes." In current medical practice this is considered a positive sign, indicating that the treatment increases circulation and that laser therapy is helping the patient.

For unknown reasons the left ear tends to respond faster to laser therapy.

Tinnitus treatment should be performed 2–3 times per week.

Conducting the therapy

It is important to know that the energy and frequency of treatment required for improvement are individual. The correct dose and "rhythm" must be found for each person. This is decisive for the treatment outcome for each patient.

Treatment should always start with the minimal dose (4 Joules on the acupuncture points, 20 Joules in the ear canal).

If no response is observed after the first 1–4 treatments, re-evaluation is recommended. The dose should be adjusted and a new treatment schedule may be needed. In other cases a pause in the treatment may be necessary.

Norwegian experience shows that for patients not responding to the initial dose the treatment time was extended by one minute. After this, positive results are typically achieved after 5–15 treatments.

Usually the effect of laser therapy appears after 5–10 treatments, but more time is needed to reach the maximum possible improvement. The number of treatments required varies per patient. In some cases tinnitus disappears after 15–20 treatments, in others 30–50 treatments are necessary. German experience suggests that tinnitus may disappear even 1–3 years later.

If the patient experiences discomfort or worsening after the very first treatment, the duration of laser therapy should be reduced over the next 3–5 treatments. It can then be gradually increased again.

Rarely, tinnitus that responded successfully to laser therapy may return over time. These relapses should be treated again following the guidelines described above.

Remember! Both ears must be treated, even if only one is ringing!

Tinnitus caused by neck and back injuries

If tinnitus is caused by a neck injury (e.g. whiplash), injury of the back muscles, stiffness or tension of the jaw or facial muscles, or a combination of these, it is recommended to combine laser therapy with massage. In such cases treat the bone behind the ear with laser therapy (4–8 J energy).

Other home remedies

Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba extract alone yields a clear positive result in only a few patients, but more and more tinnitus therapists recommend combining laser therapy with Ginkgo biloba. Recommendations suggest a daily dose of 200 mg Ginkgo biloba extract seems effective.

Vitamin B12

Israeli studies indicate many patients with tinnitus have low vitamin B12 levels. Therefore B12 supplementation may be useful.

Calcium

Studies suggest that calcium supplementation can be beneficial for some patients, e.g. 2 grams of calcium daily for one month, then 1 gram daily.
Calcium affects circulation, as well as the nervous system and the blood. Fish oil may have similar positive effects.

White noise

Sleep disturbances are often associated with tinnitus. Numerous studies highlight that white noise (the hum between radio stations) can distract attention from the tinnitus.
The method is simple: place a radio on the bedside table and tune it between two stations so you only hear the weak hum of the radio; turn the volume down. Attention is "distracted" from the tinnitus, making it easier to fall asleep.

Although leaving the radio or TV on—soft background music or speech—can be helpful, the subconscious often tries to "interpret" the sounds, which tends to be more stressful than relaxing (therefore white noise is better than leaving the TV/radio on).