Treating tinnitus with biofeedback

Patients with tinnitus: between physical and psychotherapeutic treatment methods

People who suffer from tinnitus often have to cope with distressing noises in their ears, which can severely disrupt their daily lives. Those affected often look primarily for physical treatment methods to alleviate their symptoms and are less likely to turn to psychotherapeutic approaches. One method that has proven effective is the Biofeedback.

Treatment of tinnitus using biofeedback

Biofeedback is used in particular for chronic tinnitus, as this is often associated with increased Stress and is associated with tension. On the one hand, tension and stress can trigger tinnitus, but they can also make it worse.

With regard to muscle tension, biofeedback treatment for tinnitus involves, for example, practising ways to reduce tension in the shoulder, neck, throat, jaw and forehead areas. Furthermore, biofeedback helps patients to better understand the link between their mental and physical states¹.

The effectiveness of biofeedback for tinnitus

A study showed that, according to a treatment guideline from the University of Marburg, the use of biofeedback to treat tinnitus was well accepted and did not result in any side effects. The study’s findings documented a significant reduction in tinnitus-related distress, supported by moderate to high effect sizes. Based on these positive results, the study concluded that the biofeedback-based treatment manual represents a very well-accepted and effective method for reducing tinnitus symptoms.².

Acceptance and effectiveness

Biofeedback has proved to be an effective method that not only helps to alleviate symptoms but also supports patients in shifting their perspective from a purely physical one to a psychosomatic one. According to the review „Evidence-Based Practice in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback“ by the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, the treatment is classified as „likely to be effective“³. The recommended number of biofeedback sessions varies between six and fifteen hours, according to different sources¹.