In a controlled, longitudinal study with 393 patients, researchers from Freiburg, Germany find substantial therapeutic effects of Ericksonian Hypnosis on subacute and chronic tinnitus (ear ringing and other internally experienced noises) .

Researchers from Freiburg, Germany investigated the therapeutic effects of Ericksonian Hypnosis on subacute and chronic tinnitus (ear ringing and other internally experienced noises) in a controlled, longitudinal study.

A total of 393 patients were treated within an inpatient, closed-group, 28-day-setting, based on a resource-oriented, hypnotherapeutic concept. The severity of tinnitus was assessed by the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) at times of admission, discharge and also at a 6- and 12-month follow-up. Health-related quality of life was evaluated before and after therapy using the SF-36.

After therapy, a decrease in TQ score was seen in 90.5% of the patients with subacute tinnitus and in 88,3% of those with chronic tinnitus. Assessment of the TQ score at the end of therapy revealed highly significant improvements of 15.9/14.1 points in mean. Effect sizes in the treatment groups (0.94/0.80) were superior to those in the waiting-list controls (0.14/0.23). The TQ score remained stable in the follow-up controls.

Significant improvement in health-related quality of life was also observed within the treatment groups, depending on initial level of tinnitus severity. The study concludes that the annoyance from tinnitus can be significantly reduced through Ericksonian Hypnosis, while health-related quality of life is enhanced, and within a comparatively short treatment period of 28 days.

Citation: Ross UH, Lange O, Unterrainer J, Laszig R. Ericksonian hypnosis in tinnitus therapy: effects of a 28-day inpatient multimodal treatment concept measured by Tinnitus-Questionnaire and Health Survey SF-36. European Archives of Otorhinolaryngology. 2007 May;264(5):483-8. Epub 2007 Jan 6. [email protected]