Tinnitus

The main symptom of tinnitus is hearing a noise, such as ringing or buzzing, that is not caused by an outside source. It's not always clear what causes tinnitus. It's often linked with hearing loss, or other conditions like Ménière's disease, anxiety or depression.

Personally, I found that my tinnitus is caused by drinking milk.

I've always known that milk gives me catarrh, so when I had persistent tinnitus two years ago, and had already tried the medical route, I decided to see if giving up milk would help. It did. The tinnitus disappeared within three days. Over the following year I observed that it would return if I had milk in my coffee for several consecutive days. That was enough evidence for me.

Trying to stay relaxed and distracting yourself from the sounds you hear can help with tinnitus. Talking therapies may help if this does not work.

I am currently working with a client who has tinnitus and it is quite clear that the Alexander Technique solves it for him. Within moments of beginning the lesson, when I work on his neck, the tinnitus disappears for a good twelve hours. The strong habitual tension and misuse of his neck muscles clearly effects his ears - he just needs to learn to stop slouching.

But I can't say that the technique 'cures tinnitus' - I've worked with other clients where it doesn't make it stop. However, I do think it is worth considering. If there's a strong muscular element to the problem, trying the Alexander Technique makes good sense.