Michiels, Sarah and Woelflick, Stella and Simoes, Jorge and Schlee, Winfried (2024) Exploring App-Based Physiotherapy for Somatic Tinnitus: Results from a Pilot Study. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE, 13 (23): 7203. ISSN , 2077-0383
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Background: Somatic tinnitus (ST) is a type of tinnitus that is influenced by changes in somatosensory input from the cervical spine or temporomandibular area. Although traditional physiotherapy has been shown to reduce ST symptoms, in-clinic treatment is not always available, and adherence to home exercise programs is often low. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of an app-based physiotherapy program to enhance the compliance and availability of treatment for ST patients. Methods: This pilot randomised controlled trial included 38 adult patients with chronic somatic tinnitus. Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment group receiving a 9-week app-based cervical spine exercise program or a control group. The primary outcome was tinnitus distress measured using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). As a secondary outcome we used the Mini-Tinnitus Questionnaire (Mini-TQ). Results: Participants in the treatment group showed significant reductions in tinnitus distress, with a large effect size for both the THI and Mini-TQ groups (Cohen's d = 1.71 and 1.02, respectively). The control group showed no significant changes. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that an app-based physiotherapy intervention is a feasible and effective treatment for ST. Further research with larger sample sizes and comparisons to traditional in-clinic treatments is needed to confirm these findings. Additional studies on personalised treatment might further improve the treatment.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | MECHANISMS; tinnitus; somatic tinnitus; physical therapy; smartphone applications |
| Subjects: | 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine |
| Divisions: | Medicine > Lehrstuhl für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Jan 2026 09:49 |
| Last Modified: | 26 Jan 2026 09:49 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/64283 |
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