Table 3. Summary of Treatment Characteristics and Outcomes

First author (year) Treatment Acupuncture Specification Acupuncture Retention Time Treatment Duration and Frequency Outcomes
Kim SY (2019)9) *A-tx, Moxibustion, Steam therapy, H-med, ‣‣W-med (Oxicam,peripheral vasodilators), ***EA-tx 0.20 ㎜×30 ㎜ 20 minutes admitted 17 days 2 times per day §§PTA: improved from 57.5 ㏈ to 22.5 ㏈.Dizziness and headache resolved, Tinnitus reduced by 80%
admitted 8 days 2 times per day PTA: improved from 75 ㏈ to 25 ㏈.Tinnitus reduced by 90%, Earfullness resolved.
admitted 18 days 2 times per day PTA: improved from 75 ㏈ to 20 ㏈.Tinnitus resolved, earfullness improved by 90%, Fatigue improved by 40%.
Kang YJ (2021)10) A-Tx, Moxibustion, H-med 0.30 ㎜×40 ㎜ 10 minutes 60 days 1-2 times per week PTA: improved from 50 ㏈ to 12.5 ㏈.¶¶THI score: improved from 40 to 0, §§§SRT: improved from no response to 8 ㏈, ¶¶¶WRS: improved from 18% to 84%, †††MCL: decreased from 82 ㏈ to 48 ㏈.
Lee JW (2022)11) A-Tx, Moxibustion, Dry cupping, §PA-Tx, ††Laser-Tx, W-med (peripheral vasodilators, corticosteroids) 0.25 ㎜×40 ㎜ 15 minutes 8 days PTA: improved from 16 ㏈ to 15 ㏈.250 ㎐ threshold improved from 30 ㏈ to 15 ㏈.**DPOAE: increased from 14.7 to 16.5 ㏈ SPL WRS: improved from 96% to 100%. Tinnitus, autophony, and earfullness resolved.
28 days PTA: improved from 64 ㏈ to 18 ㏈.DPOAE: decreased from 3 ㏈ to –24 ㏈ SPL WRS: improved from 44% to 92%.Tinnitus and earfullness almost resolved.
38 days PTA: improved from 33 ㏈ to 17 ㏈.DPOAE: increased from 7.1 ㏈ to 11.9 ㏈ SPL WRS: improved from 88% to 92%.
Park SY (2022)12) A-Tx, EA-Tx, PA-Tx, Hearing rehabilitation Chuna therapy 0.30 ㎜×60 ㎜0.20 ㎜×30 ㎜ 15 minutes 20 weeks2 times per week PTA(Left): improved from 35.83 ㏈ to 14.17 ㏈.PTA(Right): improved from 31.67 ㏈ to 10 ㏈
Seo JI (2022)13) A-Tx, H-med, Moxibustion 0.25 ㎜×30 ㎜ 10 minutes 2months1 time per week PTA: improved from 97.5 ㏈ to 27.5 ㏈.WRS: improved from ‘no response’ to 92%.SRT: improved from ‘no response’ to 20 ㏈ THI score: improved from 46 to 12
Choi JW (2023)14) A-Tx, H-med, Chuna therapy, Acupotomy 0.20 ㎜×30 ㎜ 20 minutes 10 weeks1 time per week PTA: improved from 34 ㏈ to 12 ㏈.SRT: improved from 40 ㏈ to 10 ㏈ MML : improved from 49 ㏈ 29 ㏈
Jung JW (2024)15) A-Tx, Steam therapy, Moxibustion, EA-Tx 0.20 ㎜×30 ㎜ 15 minutes 140 days PTA: improved from 32.5 ㏈ to 20 ㏈.Tinnitus, earfullness resolved.
97 days PTA: improved from 37.5 ㏈ to 20 ㏈.Tinnitus, earfullness resolved.
Kim SJ (2024)16) A-Tx, Acupotomy, H-med 0.25 ㎜×30 ㎜ 15 minutes 4 weeks2 times per week PTA: improved from 49.5 ㏈ to 12.8 ㏈ tinnitus, earfullness, autophony resolved.Hearing ‡‡NRS decreased from 10 to 1 tinnitus NRS decreased from 10 to 1
Zhong Y (2018)17) A-Tx, Moxibustion 0.30 ㎜×25 ㎜ 20 minutes 12 times Complete recovery of hearing
He J (2018)18) A-Tx, Moxibustion ‡‡‡N.R N.R 9 weeks2 times per week PTA: improved from 81 ㏈ to 50 ㏈.Tinnitus partially improved.
Kim MH (2018)19) A-Tx EA-Tx, TENS, Moxibustion 0.25 ㎜×30 ㎜ 10 minutes admitted 3 weeks, 2 times per day, 1 month outpatient treatment PTA: improved from 66.3 ㏈ to 51.3 ㏈, SRT: improved from 70 ㏈ to 30 ㏈, WRS: improved from 16% to 36%.
Arpornchayanon W (2019)20) A-Tx,EA-Tx N.R 20 minutes 4 weeks, 3 times per week PTA: 6000 ㎐ threshold improved from 55 ㏈ to 20 ㏈.Tinnitus resolved
4 weeks,3 times per week PTA: improved from 45 ㏈ to 18.75 ㏈, PB score: improved from 88% to 100%.Tinnitus resolved
Chen A (2019)21) A-Tx 0.25 ㎜×40 ㎜ 30 minutes 4 days 4 times PTA: improved from 33 ㏈ to Normal range.
You C (2019)22) A-Tx, Dexamethasone injection at acupoints 0.25 ㎜×40 ㎜ N.R 9 days 5 times PTA: improved from 42 ㏈ to Normal range.
LI J (2021)23) A-Tx 0.25 ㎜×40 ㎜ 30 minutes 28 times Discomfort resolved
Liu Y (2023)24) A-Tx, EA-Tx, Moxibustion, H-med 0.25 ㎜×40 ㎜ 30 minutes 3 weeks 8 times PTA: improved from 18.6 ㏈ to 6.4 ㏈.(125 ㎐ threshold improved from 35 ㏈ to 15 ㏈.) (250 ㎐ threshold improved from 30 ㏈ to 10 ㏈.) tinnitus resolved
Wang X (2023)25) A-Tx, Exercise therapy (diaphragmatic breathing, Valsalva maneuver, tympanic membrane massage, occipital tapping) 0.25 ㎜×40 ㎜ 48 hours (manipulated once every 24 hours) 5 days 5 times PTA: improved from 55 ㏈ to 15 ㏈.Tinnitus resolved
Zhang J (2024)26) A-Tx needle Less than 1 minute 4 weeks, 2 times per week PTA: improved from 90 ㏈ to 63 ㏈.THI score: improved from 46 to 12
Zhao F (2024)27) A-Tx, Moxibustion 0.20 ㎜×25 ㎜, 0.30 ㎜×40 ㎜ 20 minutes 2 weeks 3 times per week Markedly improved
Zhang Q (2024)28) A-Tx, Moxibustion 0.30 ㎜×50 ㎜, 0.25 ㎜×40 ㎜ 30 minutes 22 days 18 times PTA: improved from 80 ㏈ to 50 ㏈.Tinnitus markedly decreased
A-Tx: acupuncture treatment,
DPOAE: Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions,
EA-Tx: Electroacupunture treatment,
H-med: herbal medicine,
Laser-Tx: Laser treatment,
MCL: Most Comfortable Loudness level,
MML: Minimal masking level,
NRS: Numeric Rating Scale,
N.R: not reported,
PA-Tx: pharmacopuncture treatment,
PTA: Pure Tone Audiometry,
SRT: Speech Recognition Threshold,
TENS: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation,
THI: Tinnitus Handicap Inventory,
WRS: Word Recognition Score,
score: phonetically balanced score,
W-med: western medicine treatment