Tinnitus refers to the subjective abnormal auditory perception occurring without external sound stimuli, characterized by prominent clinical heterogeneity and complicated pathophysiological mechanisms, which severely impair patients' mental health and quality of life....
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
This review provides background on acupuncture's proposed mechanisms for tinnitus but does not present new clinical trial data; no change to evidence-based practice is warranted based on this review alone.
As tinnitus remains difficult to treat, understanding the proposed neurological mechanisms of acupuncture could eventually inform complementary treatment pathways, though the current evidence base remains limited.
- 01Review covers the current understanding of tinnitus pathogenesis, including central and peripheral auditory mechanisms.
- 02Acupuncture is proposed to exert effects on tinnitus through neuromodulatory pathways.
- 03The review situates acupuncture within the landscape of modern tinnitus interventions.
- 04Published in International Journal of General Medicine 2026; no new clinical trial data are presented.
- 05Evidence base for acupuncture in tinnitus remains an active and contested area of research.
Acupuncture modulates neurological pathways involved in tinnitus perception.
opinionpartially supportedAcupuncture is a modern intervention with a defined neuromodulatory mechanism for tinnitus.
opinionunclear- PMID
- 42703377
- DOI
- 10.2147/IJGM.S620160.
- Journal
- International Journal of General Medicine
- Publication type
- review
- Evidence level
- 5
- Population
- Patients with tinnitus (review of existing literature; no primary patient population)
- Intervention
- Acupuncture for tinnitus
Primary outcomes
Neuromodulatory mechanisms of acupuncture relevant to tinnitus; Pathogenesis of tinnitus