Efficacy of adjuvant Chinese herbal formula treatment for chronic tinnitus: A retrospective observational study. Issue 2 (April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lin, Chia-Hui; Kuo, Chun-En; Yu, Hao-Chang; Lai, Yu-Kai; Huang, Yu-Chuen; Tsai, Ming-Yen
• Is Part Of: Complementary therapies in medicine. Volume 23:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 226
• Page End: 232
• Publication Date: 2015-04
• Subjects: Alternative medicine -- Periodicals; Complementary Therapies -- Periodicals; Médecines parallèles -- Périodiques; Thérapeutique -- Périodiques; Alternative medicine; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 615.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2015.01.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0965-2299

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="author" id="abs0005"> <title id="sect0005">Summary</title> <sec> <title id="sect0010">Background</title> <p id="spar0005">The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of using western anti-tinnitus therapy with or without Chai-Hu-Jia-Long-Gu-Mu-Li-Tang (CHJLGMLT) to treat patients with chronic tinnitus.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0015">Methods</title> <p id="spar0010">A descriptive case series with chart review was established to compare patients with chronic tinnitus who had received CHJLGMLT with western anti-tinnitus therapy (the CHJLGMIT group) with those who received western anti-tinnitus therapy alone (the non-CHJLGMIT group). We included 21 patients, 10 patients in the CHJLGMIT group with CHJLGMLT and 11 patients in the non-CHJLGMIT group. Both groups were comparable in terms of patient demographics and clinical characteristics. The follow-up examinations included the assessment of Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of 0–10 for tinnitus intensity, pure tone audiometry (PTA), and speech reception threshold (SRT).</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0020">Results</title> <p id="spar0015">After 2 months of treatment, THI and PSQI scores were reduced significantly more in the CHJLGMIT group (<italic>p</italic> < 0.05) than in the non-CHJLGMIT group. Scores on the emotional subscale of the THI were significantly reduced in the CHJLGMIT group (<italic>p</italic> < 0.05) after treatment, but the effects on the seven PSQI subscales did not differ significantly between the two groups (<italic>p</italic> > 0.05). Scores on the VAS for tinnitus loudness were significantly reduced in both groups (<italic>p</italic> < 0.05). No significant differences between the two groups were found on the binaural hearing tests (PTA and SRT).</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sect0025">Conclusions</title> <p id="spar0020">Our study found that adjuvant CHJLGMLT therapy for chronic tinnitus may exert additional efficacy by improving psychological sensation of tinnitus and sleep quality. Future randomized controlled double-blind studies should be performed to elucidate its efficacy.</p> </sec> </abstract>