Treatment of tinnitus with electrical stimulation: an evaluation of the Audimax Theraband.
Several treatment forms exist for tinnitus. These multiple treatments speak to the elusive etiology of tinnitus. Many authors have reported tinnitus reduction or elimination with electrical stimulation. This study evaluates a new device (Audimax Theraband) which delivers inaudible, transdermal, mastoid electrical stimulation. Thirty patients suffering from chronic tinnitus were evaluated in a single-blind crossover fashion. Since the electrical stimulation is inaudible, each patient served as his or her own control. Patients received actual or placebo stimulation over a period of 2 weeks. They rated their tinnitus levels and the effectiveness of the device before and after using the Theraband. Only 2 subjects out of 30 (7%) obtained true positive results. Side effects were minimal and reversible.