The SCENAR is a Russian-built electrical stimulation device that has existed for about 10 years. In promotional brochures, the developers state that SCENAR treatment is effective for 80% of all chronic pain cases, based on data from 50,000 patients. They also claim that the device activates C-nerve fibres producing neuropeptides which help the immune system clear areas of pathology associated with tinnitus.

It functions via an electrical contact connected to a battery-operated electrical device, delivering low frequency electrical impulses into the ear. Other than this, there is very little information available on the power, the frequency of the electrical stimulation, and which parts of the auditory system to which it is best targeted.

In the Youtube video below, someone known as ‘Zephiloyd’ claims that SCENAR therapy cured his tinnitus:

However, ‘Zephiloyd’ is also a distributor of the device on his website www.zephiloyd.com , which compromises the legitimacy of his claim. 

There are no clinical trials of the use of SCENAR for tinnitus, which is suspicious as the device has been in existence for a number of years, and reports bold claims of success.

To the best of this author’s knowledge, the theory that neuropeptide release and immune system activation clears toxins and regenerates cochlear hair cells reducing tinnitus, has not been supported in any scientific trials.  

You can buy SCENAR for approximately £1500 ($2470).

Background to Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) consists of a course of sound enrichment and counseling lasting anywhere between 12 and 24 months. The goal of TRT is to reduce the tinnitus signal by removing negative psychological associations and  promoting habituation.

It is based on a theory devised by its founder Pawel Jastreboff, who argued that altering emotional associations to tinnitus would result in dampening of heightened auditory responses to the tinnitus signal.

Just like a mouse who can focus on nothing but say the threatening predatory sound of a cat walking nearby, some tinnitus patients cannot focus on anything but the threatening signal of tinnitus invading their right to silence.

Patients with severe tinnitus undergoing TRT are fitted with wearable sound generators that emit broadband white or pink noise. Patients are advised to leave the device on at all times even when sleeping. The level of noise is adjusted so that the volume of sound of enrichment is just below that of the tinnitus signal.

Clinical Trials

One small study showed that after one year of TRT, 100% of tinnitus sufferers reported benefit, 62% of patients with both tinnitus and hearing loss reported benefit, and 88.2 % hyperacusis patients reported improved tinnitus [[i]]. Hyperacusis is a condition characterized by over-sensitivity to normal environmental sound.

A larger study in 2006 involving 123 veterans with severe tinnitus reported that TRT was significantly more effective the longer it was continued. The greatest benefits in tinnitus reduction were reported after 18 months. A second group of veterans were just given tinnitus masking for comparison with the TRT group. Interestingly, after three months, the tinnitus masking group reported greatest reduction of tinnitus and after 6 months of treatment, tinnitus masking was just as effective as TRT [[ii]]. 

They concluded that patients with moderate tinnitus responded equally well to tinnitus masking as they did to TRT, but severe tinnitus patients showed the greatest improvement with TRT.

TRT certainly seems to be of considerable help to a lot of tinnitus sufferers, especially those with the most disabling form of the condition. It is supported by some sound theories based on the neurophysiological mechanisms of tinnitus, and is well-regarded by some of the most respected tinnitus experts in the scientific community. The counseling component alone has been shown to be considerably effective in improvement of quality of life for tinnitus patients.

However, there are some people who redevelop negative associations to their tinnitus causing it to reappear after therapy, although the founders of TRT claim that ‘treatment with TRT is always quicker the second time’ [[iii]].

The price for the treatment will depend on the clinic administering it, and these aren’t always the easiest to find, although their popularity is growing. In comparison to other similarly-priced therapies such as Neuromonics, TRT does stand out as it has been independently proven in clinical trials, whereas the former has not.

There are a number of people who recommend ginkgo biloba for tinnitus treatment, but I decided to investigate a little deeper to find evidence to support the claims that the chinese herb is actually effective for tinntius, or whether its no better than placebo. This is what I found:

The leaves from the Chinese gingko biloba tree have been used for many centuries as a herbal remedy for a wide variety of diseases ranging from asthma to Alzheimer’s disease.  

The active ingredients that deliver the therapeutic effect are flavonoids and terpenoids believed to improve circulation, which could potentially be effective for pulsatile tinnitus which can be caused by circulatory problems.

Distributors of ginkgo biloba often claim its use can significantly improve tinnitus. The website www.ginkgobilobaextract.net quotes: ‘In a study conducted in 1986, ringing problems of tinnitus patients were completely eradicated in 35% of the patients under study by ginkgo biloba tinnitus remedy’.

 However, the study is rather old and despite apparently impressive results, the case for ginkgo biloba use is weakened by more recent reports that show no benefit.

Recent clinical trials on ginkgo biloba

A study conducted in 1994 at the Department of Audiology,  Sahlgren's Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden, revealed that there was no difference in tinnitus improvement between tinnitus patients who used ginkgo biloba or placebo.

A more recent study in 2004 found that ‘21.6% of ginkgo biloba treated patients gained benefit, versus 18.4% of placebo treated patients’. Essentially, this means that gingko biloba has no effect on reducing tinnitus.

In fact most of the well-designed scientific studies on ginkgo biloba support the findings that ginkgo biloba is of no benefit to tinnitus sufferers, or at most is only as effective as placebo. Based on these findings it would appear that the use of ginkgo biloba is without scientific foundation and can potentially divert tinnitus sufferers from other, more useful therapies.

In addition, heavy and frequent use of ginkgo biloba is associated with a number of undesirable side effects including heart palpitations, headaches, and nausea.