A randomised, placebo-controlled trial of manual and electrical acupuncture for the treatment of tinnitus

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of manual/electrical acupuncture treatment on tinnitus in a randomised, single-blinded, placebo-controlled design. Fifty patients (46 males, 4 females) suffering from tinnitus were investigated. The patients were randomly assigned to three groups: a manual acupuncture group (MA), an electrical acupuncture group (EA), and a placebo group (PL). The frequency of tinnitus occurrence, tinnitus intensity, and reduction of life quality were recorded before treatment (Baseline), after 6 treatments (After-Treatment), and 1 month after the completion of treatment (1-Month-After). Standard audiometric tests were conducted on each patient at Baseline and After-Treatment. The patients also provided an overall subjective evaluation of treatment effectiveness at each stage. Eight to ten acupoints were selected at each treatment by an experienced acupuncturist. Six treatments were performed, each separated by an interval of 1 week. Analysis of variance and t-tests were used to statistically compare the data. The frequency of tinnitus occurrence and the tinnitus loudness were significantly decreased After-Treatment compared with Baseline in the EA group (P < 0.009). Life quality was improved After-Treatment and at 1-Month-After compared with Baseline in both MA and EA groups (P < 0.038). However, no significant differences were detected among the three groups (P > 0.079). The audiogram did not show any significant changes after treatment in either group (P > 0.091). The overall subjective evaluation indicated significant improvements After-Treatment compared with Baseline in both MA and EA groups (P < 0.011). Furthermore, After-Treatment subjective evaluation was significantly better in the EA group compared with either the MA or PL group (P < 0.011). These results indicate that there is no statistically significant differential effect of manual or electrical acupuncture on tinnitus treatment efficacy, however, electrical acupuncture does confer some relative advantages. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.