OBJECTIVETo compare the differences in the clinical efficacy on tinnitus between the spinal balancing intervention and the conventional acupuncture.

METHODSThe randomized controlled trial were adopted. One hundred and twenty cases of tinnitus were randomized into a spinal balancing group and a conventional acupuncture group, 60 cases in each one. In the spinal balancing group, the comprehensive therapy of acu-puncture and Tuina was applied to the spine, the Back-shu points, Jiaji (EX-B 2), Tinggong (SI 19), Yifeng (TE 17), Fengchi (GB 20), Yuzhen (BL 9), Tianzhu (BL 10), etc. for the balancing intervention. In the conventional acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied to the local points and the points along the affected meridians. In each group, after 3 sessions of treatment, the degree of tinnitus and the accompanied symptoms were scored and compared before and after treatment. The comprehensive efficacy was assessed.

RESULTSIn the spinal balancing group, the clinical curative rate was 70.0% (42/60) and the total effective rate was 98.3% (59/60), which were significantly better than 45.0% (27/60) and 86.7% (52/60) in the conventional acupuncture group separately (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). After treatment, the degree of tinnitus and the accompanied symptom scores were all reduced in both groups (all P < 0.05), but the improvements in the spinal balancing group were better than those in the conventional acupuncture group (all P < 0.05). In 3-month follow-up visit after treatment, the recurrence rate in the spinal balancing group was lower than that in the conventional acupuncture group [5.1% (3/59) vs 13.5% (7/52)] (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe spinal balancing intervention therapy relieves the symptoms of the patients with tinnitus remarkably. Its clinical efficacy is superior significantly to that of the conventional acupuncture and the recurrence rate is lower.