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Feasibility of acupuncture as a treatment for sensori‐neural deafness in children
Author(s) -
Rosen Samuel
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-197412000-00011
Subject(s) - acupuncture , medicine , audiology , hearing loss , pediatrics , alternative medicine , pathology
Purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that treatment by acupuncture can decrease the level of hearing loss in profoundly sensori‐neural deafness in children. Acupuncture treatments at sites recommended by Chinese colleagues were given five days per week for three weeks a month for six months. Thirty children received regular acupuncture, to a depth of 13 mm and 10 shallow acupucture, only 1–2 mm. Audiometric tests were performed weekly on each child at 8 points (125–8,000 Hz) plus SAT. At intervals bone conduction, SRT, and other audiometric tests were made. Treatments adhered closely to the recommendations of the Chinese colleagues; however, we set a six‐month pilot study rather than the extensive period (one to four years) which they follow. Comparisons were made of the average level of hearing loss in the two groups at the beginning and at the end of the study at four key frequencies. Although there is a small improvement in seven of the eight averages, this does not represent any practical improvement in hearing. Detailed comparison for each of the 40 subjects fails to reveal any consistently maintained improvement.