The application of direct current electrical stimulation of the ear and cervical spine kinesitherapy in tinnitus treatment.

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.