Efficacy of Myofascial Trigger Point Pressure Release on Tinnitus Patients

A double blind placebo control randomized clinical trial was made to verify the efficacy of the treatment by deactivation of MTP, after 10 sessions, in tinnitus patients by means of comparison with a placebo treatment in a control group. Patients with tinnitus and frequent regional pain for at least 3 months in the head, neck and shoulder girdle were investigated in the Tinnitus Research Group of University of São Paulo Medical School. All of them underwent an interview with the otolaryngologist ("physician researcher"), an audiologist evaluation ("blind researcher"), another blind researcher evaluation for tinnitus and pain and a physiotherapist evaluation and randomization. Both blind researchers evaluated tinnitus and pain in the first, fifth and tenth session. The real treatment was made by a gradual and persistent digital pressure in each MTP previously diagnosed by the blind researcher (8 possible muscles) and some home orientations that included stretch, superficial heat in each treated muscle and watch the correct postures during daily activities and sleeping. In the control group physiotherapist researcher pressed in an adjacent non-tender muscle fibers of the same muscle that have MTP. No other complementary orientation was done.

Inclusion criteria

• Adult subjects of any gender, age and race with presence of uni or bilateral tinnitus for at least 3 months;
• Presence of pain complaint for at least 3 months in head, neck and shoulder girdle areas
• Presence of at least one myofascial trigger point (MTP) related with the patient's pain complaint (active MTP).

Exclusion criteria

• Pain complaint involving three or more quadrants of the body, regardless of its cause
• Infiltration and/or specific treatment for deactivation of MTP in the last 6 months;
• Use of medications or other techniques to treat tinnitus, pain or muscle disorders during the previous last month;
• Impossibility of understanding the orientation and/or giving information during MTP evaluation (neurological or psychiatric diseases, bilateral severe or profound hearing loss, etc);
• Absence of tinnitus perception during evaluation;
• Pulsatile tinnitus or myoclonus (middle ear muscles or palatal myoclonus).
• Tinnitus due to certain etiologies that require other specific types of treatment, determined according to the medical evaluation.