Somatic Pulsatile Tinnitus / Normal Tinnitus and Acupunture

Hello,

I thought I would share my experience with acupuncture. I have had 5 sessions with a local acupuncturist who needled around the various trigger points/neck/jaw. I had no response to any of that treatment so a few days ago I asked if he would try to insert the needles around the trigeminal ganglion which is the area directly in front of your ear. It is where all the nerves come together V1/V2/V3 from your face and jaw. He was a bit apprehensive initially, mostly because he had limited experience in that area. I know that other Chinese medicine treatments frequently use that area for treatment.

Following that procedure I left the clinic with no difference at all. About 30 minutes later I was walking along and noticed I could no longer hear the whistling noise or the high pitched pulsatile noise. It was complete silence, suddenly my hearing was clear and I remembered what it was like to have normal hearing. My hearing was clear as it was before all of this started. First time complete silence in 15 months.

As the day progressed the whistling noise returned - normal tinnitus - but I feel I have noticed quite a decrease in the high pitched pulsatile aspect.

The following day (today) the whistling noise which was always present is back but I really feel the most irritating part, which is the high pitched pulsating noise appears to be reduced.

It certainly gets me thinking about the facial/mandibular nerves and if you could get lucky with a needle disrupting the hyperactive nerves you might be able to reduce it.

I will continue with treatment and keep you guys updated.

I have included a picture and arrows showing where the needles were inserted that seemed to have an effect.

Thanks!

 

Hi Guys, I thought I would update about acupuncture I have been receiving.

I have had 3 treatments and I have to say somehow it has actually had an affect on the high-pitched pulsatile tinnitus, which is most likely somatic PT.

When I move my neck and jaw the squealing noise is at least 50% less.

I still have the normal high pitched tinnitus, but it doesn't seem to pulse the way it did before.

So I honestly can conclude as a massive skeptic prior to this treatment that acupuncture somehow has an effect - at least for the moment.

I will update with the locations of the needles so if anyone wants to replicate it.

 

How many needles around each ear? Did the acupuncturist put needles anywhere else? Also, how long are the sessions?

 

Hello, I asked him to follow this study;

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5771359/

Which included acupuncture points;

GB2, GB20, SJ21, SI19, SJ17, SJ3, SJ5, LI4, and SI6

- although it says non-pulsatile tinnitus, it is referring to the classic PT, which vascular.

My main complaint seem to be somatic PT which might respond to this treatment

 

Hello Melbournejeremy,

How many sessions per week are you doing ?
Are you also taking any herbal medixine (fitomedecine)?

I have what I think is sommatic Tinnitus and also doing acupuncture, currently on 7th treatment.
I felt some improvement on the first 4 or 5 sessions, mainly on the pulsatile portion of my Tinnitus which seemed less intense, less pulsatile.
Not sure if it was a consequence of acupuncture, because I always had some good weeks followed by bad ones.

I think I will show the study to my acupuncturist and suggest a little adaptation in order to include the points uou suggest, namely the one around trigeminal ganglion , which I think is GB2 ...

Thanks for sharing and please keep us updated.

 

Hi Jeremy,

I started having pulsatile tinnitus about a year ago. It was a very low sounding, rumbling noise, hardly noticeable. I was going for acupuncture for chronic insomnia at the time. On the fourth or fifth session, I asked the acupuncturist to address the low rumbling in my left ear . She put two needles in the area of my ear. One directly in front of my ear, and the other at the top of and under my ear. About 10 minutes into the session, the noise in my left ear increased dramatically, and stayed that way for about 2 days. The noise level never went back to what it was prior, the low rumbling, and is now a constant hiss with the pulsing of my heart. I was, of course, afraid to go back for another session and have lived with this for over a year now.

It was interesting to me to hear of your experience. Unfortunately I had the exact opposite effect that you had. But, if the needle placement had an effect on both of us, I am wondering if this is not an avenue that requires more exploring.

I hope if anyone else has had any experience with acupuncture of the ear, and its effect on tinnitus, that they will respond in this forum. Thank you.
Sandra