Korean medicine combination treatment for chronic tinnitus unresponsive to conventional treatment: A case report and review of literature

Abstract

Background: Tinnitus is a common condition in otolaryngology; however, its pathophysiological mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. Recent efforts have focused on improving individual treatment efficacy by combining different treatment approaches. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the efficacy of Korean medicine (KM) combination therapy in treating chronic tinnitus unresponsive to conventional Western treatments.

Case summary: A 35-year-old female patient with over 10 years of left-sided tinnitus, accompanied by left eye twitching, headache, neck pain, and premenstrual syndrome, was diagnosed with liver qi stagnation. She underwent 11 sessions involving acupuncture-related treatments and Chuna therapy as part of KM treatment. From the 9^th session onward, temporomandibular joint balancing therapy was incorporated. Following the treatment, tinnitus, headache, and neck pain resolved, while other symptoms improved, as reflected in the rating scores (tinnitus handicap inventory: 68 to 0, headache impact test-6: 64 to 36, neck disability index: 21 to 0). Significant improvement in tinnitus, headache, and neck pain was observed after just two KM treatment sessions; intermittent tinnitus ceased entirely after the 9th session, and improvements were maintained at the 2-month follow-up.

Conclusion: In conclusion, personalized treatment with a combination and modification of various KM therapies based on individual pattern diagnosis effectively alleviated daily life discomfort in a patient with chronic tinnitus, unresponsive to conventional treatments. This led to a rapid resolution of symptoms within a relatively short timeframe.

Keywords: Acupuncture; Case report; Korean medicine; Personalized treatment; Temporomandibular joint balancing therapy; Tinnitus.

Figure 1

Timeline of case study. F/U: Follow-up; Dx: Diagnosis; THI: Tinnitus handicap inventory; HIT: Headache impact test; NDI: Neck disability index; TMJ: Temporomandibular joint.