Tinnitus Retraining
Therapy
or TRT as it is more commonly called is a
neurophysiological approach to treating ‘tinnitus’ – a
health condition wherein people hear ringing sounds in
the ear or the head in the absence of any external
sounds. In the TRT exercises,
a combination of noise generator and counseling is used
to bring about an effective habituation towards the
tinnitus sounds. A successful Tinnitus Retraining
Therapy
should enable a person to
live comfortably with the tinnitus symptoms because they
are no longer aware of the sounds (except when attention
is drawn towards it). More than anything else, Tinnitus
Retraining Therapy teaches a person how not to let
tinnitus become bothersome and take over their lives and
peace of mind.
It needs to be noted though,
that Tinnitus Retraining Therapy does not claim to cure
tinnitus. It merely uses proven techniques to shift
focus away from the annoying sounds.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy
is practiced by qualified professionals who are trained
in the exact methods of counseling along with
appropriate use of the correct noise generators. TRT
cannot be undertaken by tinnitus patients themselves
without the help of a certified practitioner.
Basic Elements of Tinnitus
Retraining Therapy:
·
The basis for TRT is the way our
brain functions in relation to perception and reflexes
(to stimuli)
·
The human brain has a unique
ability to learn new reflexes and relearn previously
acquired reflexes
·
The human brain also has an
exceptional ability to do away with reactions to
perception of stimuli that it considers
irrelevant
·
The logic of the neurophysiological
model of tinnitus
therefore reasons that
if all negative associations of tinnitus symptoms
are methodically
removed, then the brain can acquire gradual habituation
of the tinnitus sounds
·
Counseling therefore is an
essential part of TRT because this kind of habituation
requires active involvement of the person suffering from
tinnitus – a lot of this counseling involves providing
information and knowledge about the tinnitus
condition in order to make a patient comfortable with
his or her condition
·
TRT does not have anything to do
with why tinnitus occurs, since it only focuses on
modifying the manner in which the brain perceives
tinnitus sounds
·
The process of TRT takes 12 to 18
months.
·
TRT is applicable to all kinds of
tinnitus sufferers irrespective of the
cause
The use of TRT is only recommended
along with thorough and holistic evaluation and
treatment of the entire body in order to eliminate the
chances of a serious cause for the tinnitus
symptoms.
