Cold therapy for tinnitus
Evidence review
Overview
In a Polish study of 120 patients with tinnitus, 80 received 10 sessions of whole-body cryotherapy (3 minutes at -166 F) followed by exercise. Tinnitus resolved in 4, lessened in 47, was unchanged in 13 and became slightly worse in 16; outcomes for the 40 untreated controls are not reported in the abstract. Cold-water immersion has not been studied in tinnitus.
Key findings
- 10 WBC sessions plus exercise, 80 patients: tinnitus resolved in 4, decreased in 47, unchanged in 13, slightly increased in 16 (Kamińska-Staruch 2007)
Every study we reviewed
1 mixed results
Each study was checked on PubMed. The colored edge shows the direction of the result. The research library lists 3 studies on tinnitus and ménière disease, across all heat and cold therapies, including case reports and older work not graded here.
[Evaluation of effectiveness of whole-body cryotherapy in patients with tinnitus].
Kamińska-Staruch A et al. Otolaryngol Pol. 2007. PubMed 18552023 · DOI
- Who
- patients aged 20-68 with tinnitus of 1 month to 23 years (Polish report)
- What
- whole-body cryotherapy chamber at -166 F (-110 C), 3 min, followed by 45 min of kinesitherapy, 10 sessions (n=80) vs no treatment (n=40)
- Protocol
- -166 °F · 3 min · 5/wk · 2 wk
- Measured
- self-rated tinnitus intensity and troublesomeness (0-100), audiometric tinnitus level
- Result
- In the WBC group, tinnitus resolved in 4, decreased in 47, was unchanged in 13 and increased slightly in 16 of 80; audiometric tinnitus frequency and intensity changed. Results for the untreated group are not given in the abstract.
- Limitations
- no between-group comparison reported in abstract; not randomized or blinded; kinesitherapy co-intervention; self-rated outcome
Protocols used in the studies
Whole-body cryotherapy chamber at -166 F (-110 C) for 3 minutes, then 45 minutes of kinesitherapy, 10 sessions in two weekday cycles. No cold-water immersion protocol has been studied.
What is still unknown
Randomized, sham-controlled trials; separating the effect of cryotherapy from exercise; durability; which tinnitus types might respond.
Safety
Cautions for cold therapy in this condition
- Tinnitus increased slightly in 16 of 80 treated patients (PMID 18552023).
- Patients were examined for contraindications before cryotherapy; see general cold safety entry.
For clinicians
Suggested rationale
A non-randomized study (Kamińska-Staruch 2007) reported reduced tinnitus in most of 80 patients after whole-body cryotherapy with exercise, but 16 worsened and no comparison with untreated controls was reported; the evidence is weak and does not extend to cold-water immersion.
Suggested wording only. The treating clinician decides whether it reflects their clinical judgment for this patient.
Typical ICD-10 codes: H93.19, H93.13. Examples only; the clinician assigns the code.
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