Tinnitus and Acupuncture

This was a prospective, randomized, controlled study, approved by the local ethics committee and carried out in a single center in accordance with the ethical principles of the Helsinki Declaration (E-18-2165).

The inclusion criteria of the study for patients were determined as; (a) male and female patients aged 18 to 60 years, (b) unilateral or bilateral subjective tinnitus, (c) with a history of severe subjective tinnitus for at least one year, (d) patients with severe tinnitus according to the THI questionnaire result (over 38 points), (e) the patients who could not detect etiology of tinnitus in the otolaryngology examination, (f) not having received any treatment within the last six months. The patients who applied to the otorhinolaryngology clinic of our hospital were included in the study.

According to the randomization method, the group to which each participant was assigned was only known to the researcher who applied acupuncture therapy. The participants and the remaining researchers that administered THI to the participants were blinded to the groups.

The data were obtained from the patients' responses to VAS and THI questionnaires. Each participant completed the VAS and THI questionnaires seven times during the course of the five-week treatment and the three-month follow-up after treatment.

Inclusion criteria

• The inclusion criteria of the study for patients were determined as; (a) male and female patients aged 18 to 60 years, (b) unilateral or bilateral subjective tinnitus, (c) with a history of severe subjective tinnitus for at least one year, (d) patients with severe tinnitus according to the THI questionnaire result (over 38 points), (e) the patients who could not detect etiology of tinnitus in the otolaryngology examination, (f) not having received any treatment within the last six months. The patients who applied to the otorhinolaryngology clinic of our hospital were included in the study

Exclusion criteria

• The exclusion criteria were having received acupuncture therapy for the last three months for any reason, having a history of medication/surgery due to heart disease, having a disease that could cause objective tinnitus, such as Meniere's disease, otitis media, and otosclerosis, having metal allergy or needle phobia, having a history of psychotropic drug use, pregnancy or nursing, and not completing the THI survey.