Methods of Therapy
In the treatment of chronic tinnitus (lasting longer than 3 months) psychotherapeutic methods (ex., tinnitus-retraining-therapy) and acoustic treatments are available. The aim is to train the patients to live with the sound in their ear, devote their attention to other things, to overhear the noise, thus reducing the disturbance caused by the tinnitus, and strengthen vitality.
Also noise generators or tinnitus-noiser are used and specifically programmed for each individual suffering from tinnitus. Furthermore there is the possibility for patients to be introduced to newer therapeutic approaches (for example, music therapy, acoustic neuromodulation). These newer techniques are aimed at "unlearning" the tinnitus noise. This is done painlessly with targeted, acoustic signals, which interfere with the pathological neurons in the auditory cortex.
Which technique is used will be determined by the particular type tinnitus. This is done by an individually customized therapy for each patient. The aim of these interdisciplinary treatment approaches is to reprogram the auditory memory, while at the same time identifying stress factors and to complementary, by either psychological, chiromanual-therapeutic treatments or relaxation therapies, influence these positively.
The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy has been scientifically proven (evidence-based medicine, EBM level IIa).