Tinnitus can be difficult to manage, especially when stress, anxiety or poor sleep make the sounds in your ears feel more noticeable. While there is no cure for tinnitus, there are a few lifestyle changes and management strategies that can make it less noticeable. Yoga is one approach worth considering.
Combining gentle physical movement, controlled breathing and mindfulness, yoga can support both physical and emotional well-being. Regular practice may help with flexibility, strength, sleep, stress and relaxation. Emerging research also suggests that it may play a role in helping people cope with tinnitus.
Understanding the Connection Between Stress and Tinnitus
Tinnitus doesn’t affect everyone in the same way. For some people, the ringing or other sounds become particularly bothersome during periods of stress.
Yoga can promote relaxation and help reduce the physical and emotional effects of stress. Although yoga isn’t considered a treatment that eliminates tinnitus, lowering stress levels may make the ringing easier to tolerate.
The Research
A small 2018 study conducted in Turkey examined 12 people with tinnitus who participated in a guided yoga program for three months. The program incorporated physical yoga postures, breathing exercises and meditation. The findings suggest that the stress relief from yoga also improves tinnitus symptoms.[1]
A later review of the available research provided additional support. Published research examining five studies on yoga and tinnitus found that three of the studies reported beneficial tinnitus outcomes. Participants in those studies experienced improvements involving tinnitus severity as well as anxiety, irritability and stress.[2]
Make Yoga Part of a Larger Tinnitus Management Plan
You can try online yoga videos from the comfort of your home or take a class at the Savannah Yoga Center as a form of tinnitus and stress relief. You can combine yoga with other management strategies, including sound masking, counseling or tinnitus retraining therapy for greater relief.
If you’re interested in learning more about your tinnitus management options, contact Audiology and Hearing Aid Services to schedule an evaluation with one of our specialists.
[1] Köksoy, S., Eti, C. M., Karataş, M., & Vayisoglu, Y. (2018). The Effects of Yoga in Patients Suffering from Subjective Tinnitus. International archives of otorhinolaryngology, 22(1), 9–13. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0037-1601415
[2] Gunjawate, D. R., & Ravi, R. (2021). Effect of yoga and meditation on tinnitus: a systematic review. The Journal of laryngology and otology, 135(4), 284–287. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022215121000566