Abstract
Objective
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of electrical stimulations
of the hearing organ in tinnitus treatment adapting the frequency of stimulation according
to tinnitus frequency, to assess the influence of cervical spine kinesitherapy on
tinnitus, as well as to evaluate hearing after electrical stimulations alone and together
with cervical spine kinesitherapy.
Methods
The study comprised 80 tinnitus, sensorineural hearing loss patients (119 tinnitus
ears) divided into two groups. In group I (n – 58 tinnitus ears) electrical stimulation of the hearing organ was performed, in
group II (n – 61 tinnitus ears) electrical stimulation together with cervical spine kinesitherapy.
Hydrotransmissive, selective electrical stimulations were conducted using direct,
rectangular current. The passive electrode was placed on the forehead, the active
– a silver probe – was immersed in the external ear canal in 0.9% saline solution.
The treatment involved fifteen applications of electrical stimulations (each lasted
for 4 min) administered three or four times a week (whole treatment lasted approximately
30 days). The evaluation of the results considered a case history (change from permanent
to temporary tinnitus), questionnaires (the increase/decrease of the total points)
and the audiometric evaluation of hearing level.
Results
Before the treatment, group I comprised 51 ears (87.93%) with permanent, and 7 ears
(12.07%) with temporary tinnitus; group II – 55 ears (90.17%) with permanent and 6
ears (9.83%) with temporary tinnitus. After the treatment, in both groups the number
of ears with permanent tinnitus decreased considerably obtaining the pauses or disappearing
of tinnitus. Directly after the treatment, group I comprised 25 ears (43.11%) with
permanent, and 10 ears (17.24%) with temporary tinnitus, in 23 ears (39.65%) tinnitus
disappeared; group II – 33 ears (54.1%) with permanent and 11 ears (18.03%) with temporary
tinnitus, in 17 ears (27.87%) tinnitus disappeared.
Regarding questionnaires, improvement was observed in group I – in 43.11% of ears,
in group II – 32.8%. In both groups audiometric improvement of hearing was recognized.
Conclusions
(1) Electrical stimulation of the hearing organ, with the application of current frequencies
according to tinnitus frequencies (selective electrical stimulation), was an efficient
method in severe tinnitus treatment. (2) Cervical spine kinesitherapy in the treatment
of tinnitus, using electrical stimulation, did not have any supporting influence.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Accepted:
May 5,
2012
Received:
December 20,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
