|
Name of treatment |
Laser therapy (low-level laser therapy; medium-level laser therapy; Tinnitool; EarLaser; soft laser) |
|
Type of treatment |
Physical intervention |
|
Claims for treatment |
Reduces/eliminates the tinnitus percept. |
|
How treatment is delivered |
Low-level laser is targeted at the ear/cochlear either behind the ear or through the ear canal. |
|
Potential negative consequences |
Generally regarded as safe due to low power (similar output to a laser pointer). |
Evidence offered: |
|
|
Papers available |
<20 |
|
Conclusions drawn |
Low-level laser therapy is no better than placebo[1] [2] Medium level laser therapy cannot be regarded as an effective treatment of chronic tinnitus[3] |
|
Quality of evidence[4] |
B |
|
Does the BTA recommend this treatment? |
No |
|
BTA opinion on this treatment: |
There is evidence that this treatment does not work. There is no plausible mechanism for this treatment to work. |
|
Would the BTA support further studies into this treatment? |
No |
|
Verdict: Safety – is this treatment harmful? |
|
|
Verdict: Efficacy – does this treatment work? |
|
[1] Dehkordi MA, Einolghozati S, Ghasemi SM, Abolbashari S, Meshkat M, Behzad H. Effect of low-level laser therapy in the treatment of cochlear tinnitus: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Ear Nose Throat J. 2015 Jan;94(1):32-6.
[2] Ngao CF, Tan TS, Narayanan P, Raman R. The effectiveness of transmeatal low-power laser stimulation in treating tinnitus. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2014 May;271(5):975-80. doi: 10.1007/s00405-013-2491-3. Epub 2013 Apr 19.
[3] Dejakum K, Piegger J, Plewka C, et al. Medium-level laser in chronic tinnitus treatment. Biomed Res Int. 2013;2013:324234. doi:10.1155/2013/324234
[4] A = Systematic review/meta-analysis. B = Randomised control studies. C = Cohort studies. D = Case-control studies. E = case studies/reports. +/- to be used to indicate quality within bands
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Tinnitus_and_laser_therapy_June_2019.pdf
Updated 11 June 2019
Photo: press handout
