Prior treatments in a group of tinnitus sufferers seeking treatment

Background: Tinnitus is a common problem for which many treatments have been proposed and implemented. Patients tend to seek renewed treatment after treatment failure. The aim of this descriptive study was to describe a group of consecutive tinnitus patients in terms of prior treatments received. Methods: Sixty-nine tinnitus patients seeking treatment were asked about prior treatments and completed the short Tinnitus Effect Questionnaire (TEQ). Four groups were obtained: No treatment (n = 24), acupuncture (n = 19), relaxation (n = 13), and other treatments (n = 13). Six subscales were derived from the TEQ measuring helplessness, capacity for rest, acceptability of change, emotional effects, hearing speech and sounds, and ability to ignore. The groups were compared with multivariate analyses of covariance and Tukey's post-hoc tests. Results: Results showed minor differences between the groups, the exception being that the untreated group showed more acceptability for change. Conclusions: Clinicians should be aware of the fact that patients may have tried at least one treatment when entering the audiology clinic. Controlled studies are needed in order to avoid the spread of nonspecific and non-effective treatments in the management of tinnitus.