Effectiveness of combined counseling and low-level laser stimulation in the treatment of disturbing chronic tinnitus.

We recruited 46 adult patients affected by disturbing tinnitus lasting for at least 3 years. All were treated with a combined counseling protocol constituting hypnotherapeutic and muscle relaxation techniques. We randomly assigned 26 patients to the group receiving low-level laser stimulation treatment and 20 to the placebo group. The laser power was 5 mV and the wavelength 650 nm. The irradiation lasted 20 minutes daily for 3 months. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) questionnaire was submitted at the beginning and at the end of treatment. The THI scores improved in the entire sample after treatment but more significantly in the group receiving low-level laser stimulation. From the point of view of clinical classification, approximately 61% of irradiated patients had tinnitus severity decreased by one class, in comparison to 35% of the placebo group.