Vibratory stimulation as a treatment alternative in patients with tinnitus

We evaluated the effect of vibratory stimulation on 10 patients with tinnitus and controlled it in a double-blind crossover trial against the sound stimulus delivered by the same apparatus. Five patients reported decreased intensity of tinnitus during treatment when vibratory stimulation was used, as opposed to 1 patient who reported decreased intensity of tinnitus when only the sound stimulus was used. There were no significant differences between the groups in the reduction of the unpleasantness associated with tinnitus. No longterm effects of treatment were seen.