Tinnitus is unique, in that it is often triggered indirectly. While there’s no specific medication to directly alleviate tinnitus symptoms, there are a host of techniques that we can utilize to settle the mind and the body and, in the process, reduce the perception of tinnitus.
We are going to go through 13 simple techniques, in the form of exercises, which can be used to help alleviate your tinnitus symptoms. Before we begin, it’s important to note that while no single technique will completely reduce tinnitus – a single exercise for your neck muscles, for instance, or a single set of relaxation exercises – the effects can be significant when multiple techniques are combined into a total mind-body wellness regimen. Consider taking a few of these exercises for tinnitus and integrating them into multiple points throughout your day, and keep the ones that work best for you.
Exercises can also be incorporated with a more comprehensive tinnitus treatment program, like the ones that are used by our Treble Health tinnitus specialists. Take our short quiz to find out if you’re a candidate for our treatment programs to help reduce tinnitus symptoms.
#13: Yoga
Yoga consists of a progression of stretches and body postures that can either be done at home or in a group setting (such as at a yoga studio). Yoga has been proven to calm the mind while also strengthening the body, whether that is accomplished through jaw and neck exercises, or a full-body flow. Yoga also helps to enhance blood circulation throughout the body and helps to relax the muscles around the head and neck, as well as creates a sense calming peace, which is likely to help to reduce tinnitus.
"Treble Health helped me reduce my tinnitus by about 80%, and now I can live my life again!"
"Treble Health helped me reduce my tinnitus by about 80%, and now I can live my life again!"
– Steve D.
Book a free consultation to learn which Treble Health solution is right for you. Join Steve and thousands more who have found lasting tinnitus relief.
#12: Tai Chi
Similar to yoga, Tai Chi may be able to help calm the mind through controlled movements of the body. If you’ve ever walked through a park in San Francisco, Los Angeles, or New York, you may have seen groups of individuals slowly moving their hands and bodies in a focused, intentional manner — this is Tai Chi. There are many videos of beginner routines available online to promote relaxation and help people with tinnitus and other bodily symptoms related to tense or tight musculature.
#11: Walking
We often don’t consider walking to be physical exercise because it’s so simple, but it can be a useful exercise to help alleviate tinnitus, even in bouts as short as 10 to 15 minutes. Walking might not immediately seem like it would be found among recommended exercises for tinnitus symptoms, over jaw and neck exercises, but tinnitus relief can come about more as a result of overall health, and walking can support a healthy body and therefore a healthy hearing system.
#10: Working Out
Any type of workout — whether cardio or resistance training, solo or group — can do wonders to calm the mind and body and thus alleviate tinnitus symptoms. Experiment with different kinds of workouts and try finding a reliable routine that provides the most relief to your tinnitus. For some, exercises that use neck muscles will actually prove more problematic, while for others, these exercises will help improve muscles issues related to the ears and auditory system. Just be sure to be aware of your listening levels if you are planning to listen to a personal listening device while working out or while attending a group fitness class. Working out while listening to loud music can negate the positive effects exercise can have on your tinnitus relief.
#9: Playing Sports
Playing any sport involves extensive mental and physical engagement. During these activities, we’re often concentrated on what our body is going to do next. The adrenaline and competition that comes with playing sports can do wonders to distract the mind from focusing on tinnitus, and may also help regulate the body’s autonomic nervous system. Whatever sport it is that you might enjoy — even something as simple as shooting hoops by yourself — can help significantly.
Movement and exercise are part of a holistic approach to managing tinnitus. Treble Health’s tinnitus treatment encourages this practice as part of the program – take our brief quiz to find out if you are a candidate.
#8: Meditation
Meditation is a form of heightened awareness where we focus on and observe certain bodily sensations (such as breath). By doing something as simple as focusing on the breath or even progressive muscle relaxation, we can notice intrusive thought patterns and hopefully work to create space. In the process, we can create separation from any stress or anxiety about tinnitus, thereby reducing tinnitus symptoms. Initially some tinnitus sufferers struggle to find peace in quiet activities such as meditation since these are times that their tinnitus symptoms seem the loudest (without the contrast of other sounds). Using soft, soothing sounds, like those used for sound therapy or Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), can be helpful during exercises like mediation for tinnitus. Nature sounds, white noise, brown noise and soft music are all great options for meditation if you are finding that total quiet is too difficult a task to start.
#7: Mindfulness
Whereas meditation is typically a focus on breathing during a seated practice, mindfulness involves awareness you can incorporate during your everyday life. For example, if you are walking down the street, you may notice that your mind is creating notions and ideas. Cultivating awareness of these thought patterns is an example of practicing mindfulness in your normal, everyday waking state. This process of staying present can help to reconfigure how you relate to your tinnitus, and can be among the most useful exercises for tinnitus relief.
Treble Health’s tinnitus treatment program incorporates principles of mindfulness, which are not only helpful for your overall health, but are an extremely important component of tinnitus treatment.
#6: Hot And Cold Water Exercises
Water can help reset the body’s central nervous system. Whenever the mind is experiencing a tinnitus fluctuation, you can reset the body by taking a very hot or a very cold shower — or even doing something as small as dipping your feet into a bucket of hot and cold water. By doing this, you are regulating the nervous system and quelling any anxiety or stress that may have risen in conjunction with a tinnitus fluctuation. Hot and cold is not necessarily considered one of the more common exercises for tinnitus, but it can be useful to help support general health, just as deep breathing and overall exercise can.
#5: Body Scans
A guided body scan involves lying down and cultivating awareness by scanning your body for tightness or sensations or tingling. You start with your head and work your way down your arms, your shoulders, your torso, your legs, and down to your feet, and then back up. This process creates a relaxing effect in the central nervous system, thus combating any tinnitus fluctuations. During the process, you can also identify any problem areas, like the glutes, neck muscles, and even the jaw, which can be lessened through jaw massage in gentle circular motions.
#4: Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique that can be done during the day and at night. It involves focusing on, contracting, and relaxing different muscle groups, and working your way up the body — starting with the toes and working your way up to the head, and counting the seconds for each contraction and relaxation. This is considered potential useful among peripheral tinnitus exercises because it promotes relaxation and calm.
#3: Guided Imagery
Guided imagery is an easy exercise that can be performed wherever you are. To do it, simply imagine a positive or relaxing place or situation (a beach, a forest, etc.). With this image in your mind, begin to go through all the different sensory inputs that you might experience at that location. For example, if you are imagining the beach, you might think about how the sand feels underneath your feet or how the sun feels on your skin. As you go through all these sensory details, you may find it easier to relax and alleviate stress, thereby taking your mind off tinnitus.
Another method of using Guided Imagery for your tinnitus is to incorporate the sound of your tinnitus INTO the Imagery you are creating in your mind, but switch the negative association of the sound to a positive one. For example, if your tinnitus sounds like buzzing, you might imagine that your tinnitus is the buzzing of the cicadas in the summer. You are sitting on your back porch enjoying a cold drink. You can see the condensation of the glass dripping and around you are your friends and family enjoying a summertime cookout. You can smell the burgers and hotdogs. You are happy because it’s summer and you are having a family get together and the cicadas are out and buzzing because it’s summer.
#2: Breathing Exercises
Similar to guided imagery, breathing exercises can be performed wherever you are. Breathing exercises can be as simple as inhaling for five seconds and exhaling for five seconds. There are also more extensive guided breathing exercises available online. Breathing exercises can be combined with other muscle changes, like neck exercises, to ease muscle tension and improve general health and feelings of well-being.
#1: Self Massage
Common types of self massage for alleviating tinnitus may involve jaw massage and upper and lower neck, which are typical areas of tension. By relaxing jaw muscles and completing neck exercises, we are also sending a signal to calm the mind, thereby helping alleviate tinnitus. With only an index finger or a few fingertips, you can enjoy softer jaw muscles and reduced neck and jaw pain–which, of course, may help reduce tinnitus symptoms.
The exercises listed above can help improve your sense of wellbeing and give you relief from your tinnitus. When used in conjunction with sound therapy and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) exercises, they form part of an effective and comprehensive tinnitus management plan.
Effective Tools To Manage Your Tinnitus
Treble Health’s team of audiologists can help you manage your tinnitus through a comprehensive approach that helps improve health and subsequent hearing health. If the exercises discussed above are not helping to alleviate your tinnitus, reach out to a member of our team for a complimentary telehealth consultation. We understand how relaxation techniques and other exercises can help relieve tension, and can help identify the need to reduce stress or address relevant issues when caring for tinnitus.
In each 20-minute session with our qualified audiologists, you can expect to discuss how to best find relief according to your specific history and needs. Contact us today if you are experiencing tinnitus symptoms, and are looking for lasting relief.
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