[Effects and influencing factors of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy for primary subjective tinnitus].

Objective

To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy for primary subjective tinnitus and analyze influencing factors of prognosis.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with primary subjective tinnitus at Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology between March 2024 and October 2025 were enrolled. Participants were divided into an acupuncture group and a control group based on whether they received acupuncture intervention. Changes in Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) scores after treatment and the proportion of patients achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in THI were compared between the two groups. Key factors influencing tinnitus prognosis and acupuncture efficacy were analyzed using linear and logistic regression.

Results

A total of 134 patients (61 males and 73 females) aged (42.9±11.8) years with primary subjective tinnitus were included. Among them, 74 were assigned to the control group and 60 to the acupuncture group. There were 68 cases of acute tinnitus and 66 of chronic tinnitus. After treatment, the reduction in THI score was greater in the acupuncture group than that in the control group [8.0 (0, 22.0) vs 3.0 (-8.0, 10.0), P=0.003], and a higher proportion of patients in the acupuncture group achieved the THI MCID [40.0% (24/60) vs 21.6% (16/74), P=0.034]. After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), extraversion and conscientiousness dimension scores, and baseline tinnitus visual analogue scale (VAS) score in multivariate linear regression analysis, acupuncture intervention remained significantly associated with changes in THI total score after treatment (β=9.58, 95%CI: 1.86-17.31, P=0.015). Multivariate logistic regression analysis of the acupuncture group showed that conscientiousness dimension score (OR=1.15, 95%CI: 1.01-1.33), openness dimension score (OR=1.17, 95%CI: 1.02-1.37), and baseline tinnitus VAS score (OR=1.39, 95%CI: 1.05-1.91) were associated with achieving clinically meaningful improvement in THI.

Conclusions

Acupuncture as an adjunct to conventional treatment can improve tinnitus severity. The therapeutic effect of combined treatment is associated with baseline tinnitus severity and personality dimension scores.