Some real talk about tinnitus and available treatment

Firstly, the disclaimer. In my experience, Craniosacral Therapy can improve tinnitus when treatment begins within a few weeks or months of onset. Once its been around for a few years or decades, I have not seen permanent improvement that I know of (and not everyone reports back).

 

Medical clinics specializing in tinnitus and vestibular rehabilitation that I've looked into focus not on tinnitus itself - but on adapting the nervous system to it. This condition stumps medical professionals across the board. Josef Rauschecker, a TED talk presenter and professor,  main point about tinnitus: "wait a little longer, we might know something in the future," with no indication if there are causes revealed or treatments being tested.

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If you are bummed out, I'm with you.

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The causes are mainly blamed on injury, illness, and prolonged exposure to loud noises such as regular travel,  traffic,  machinery, construction, emergency vehicles, etc.

 

I've had tinnitus for as long as I can remember. As a kid I didn't know that silence was something people actually experienced; I thought the word referred to an abstract, like "void." Sometimes I like to think I can hear my inner workings. It also provides feedback; it gets louder when I'm stressed and busy all the time and especially if I've been exposed to loud noises such as crowded performance venues, sirens, alarms. I am so accustomed to it that I don't need to mask it regularly. However, I do notice that quiet spaces, pleasant background noise on, such as the music I play in treatments, or, sounds of waves, water, chimes, or just white noise are just really so nice for my nervous system. It doesn't take the tinnitus away, but I think it provides a nice comfort when I do need it.

 

If you've just been travelling or if you have an upcoming travel, I suggest wearing ear plugs as much as possible. Any loud noise may exacerbate or bring on tinnitus. Our culture is just starting to talk about the pollution of sound and how it negatively affects all of us on some level.

 

I encourage you to keep being curious and exploring what resources may be out there for you! And if you find something that works, please let me know!

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All goodness surround you.