Low-level laser for treatment of tinnitus: A self-controlled clinical trial

• Main Authors: Ahmadreza Okhovat, Nezamoddin Berjis, Hoda Okhovat, Afsaneh Malekpour, Hamidreza Abtahi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2011-01-01
• Series: Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
• Subjects: Tinnitus; Laser Therapy; Low-Level; Workplace
• Online Access: http://www.jmsjournal.net/article.asp?issn=1735-1995;year=2011;volume=16;issue=1;spage=33;epage=38;aulast=Okhovat
• ISSN: 1735-1995; 1735-7136

Background: Despite the high prevalence and morbidity, tinnitus still remains an obscure symptom. We assessed the efficacy of low-level laser for treatment of tinnitus. Methods: It was a self controlled clinical trial study on 61 outpatients with subjective tinnitus. The patients were irra-diated with a 650-nm, 5-mW soft laser for twenty days and twenty minutes per day. The sensation of tinnitus was measured on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before and two weeks after treatment and they were compared by means of Wilcoxon signed rank-test. Results: Thirty-eight (62.3%) patients were men and twenty-three (37.7%) were women. Fourteen patients (31.8%) worked in noisy environment. The VAS mean difference before and after the treatment was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). The best treatment effect was in the youngest group and there were significant differences between this group and the middle age and older groups (p = 0.018 and 0.001, respectively). The mean VAS score reduction was not statisti-cally significant between male and female patients (p = 0.23). Also, the treatment outcome according to the noise level in patient′s workplaces was not significantly different in women (p = 0.693), but it was significant in men (p = 0.029). Conclusions: Transmeatal low-level laser irradiation is effective for the treatment of tinnitus and some variables like age and job can affect the treatment outcome.