Br J Audiol. 1998 Jun; 32(3): 197-204.

Effect of traditional Chinese acupuncture on severe tinnitus: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical investigation with open therapeutic control.

Vilholm OJ, MÃ¸ller K, JÃ¸rgensen K.

Department of Audiology, Vejle Hospital, Denmark.

This study aims to determine the effect of intensive acupuncture on severe tinnitus. The structure of the study was a randomized, double-blind, clinical investigation with open therapeutic surveillance and included 54 patients. All were subjected to 25 treatment sessions over a period of two months, each treatment lasting 30 minutes. Fifty-two patients completed the study. The variables used for self-registration were based on the visual analogue scale (VAS), where annoyance, loudness and awareness of the tinnitus were assessed. These were recorded twice daily over a four-month period starting one month before the first treatment and ending one month after the last treatment. Questionnaires, interviews and audiometry were carried out repeatedly. No statistically significant differences were found between the acupuncture group and the placebo group.