Yoga is an ancient practice that combines physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation. Although it began as a spiritual practice, it has been adopted as a full-body exercise focused on promoting mental and physical well-being.
Research suggests that a few health benefits of yoga include stress management, mental-emotional health support, improved sleep and pain relief. One less-discussed but notable health benefit yoga could bring you is tinnitus relief.
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the perception of a ringing, buzzing or hissing noise in the ears without an external source. Tinnitus is a common symptom, with approximately 10% to 25% of adults experiencing it at least once. People experience tinnitus in different ways. For some, the ringing may only last a few minutes. For others, the sound can worsen over time, adversely impacting quality of life.
Tinnitus is usually a symptom of another condition rather than a condition itself. Common causes include age-related hearing loss, noise-related hearing loss, ototoxicity (inner ear damage from certain medications) and ear injuries.
How Can Yoga Improve Tinnitus?
Psycho-social stress has been shown to contribute to worsening tinnitus. Unfortunately, tinnitus itself may also heighten stress levels, leading to a never-ending tinnitus-stress cycle. The relaxation and mobility yoga encourages can help break this cycle.
A 2021 review examined five studies on the impact of yoga on tinnitus. Three of these five studies found that yoga had positive effects, identifying a reduction in the severity of tinnitus symptoms and the associated stress, anxiety and irritability.
How Should I Start Doing Yoga?
As with any exercise, safety is paramount for beginner yoga. A few beginner poses and methods that can help get your blood flowing and relieve stress include:
- Child’s pose. Sit on your heels with big toes touching and knees together. Lean forward, resting your forehead on the mat. Extend your arms in front with palms on the floor. Breathe deeply for eight breaths.
- Mountain pose. Stand with your feet together. Bring your head, shoulders, hips and ankles into one straight line. Engage your core muscles. Bring your arms to your sides with palms facing forward. Gaze ahead or close your eyes. Breathe in and out for eight breaths.
- Meditation is a technique used to draw attention away from negative or unproductive thinking. It can be an essential part of your tinnitus stress relief. There’s no one way to meditate. Some people benefit from concentrating on a question, repeating a phrase, focusing on their body’s positive or neutral physical sensations and more.
Try a few poses at home or take a Harmony Family Yoga class to kickstart your stress-relief journey. In addition to yoga, options like sound masking with hearing aids, tinnitus retraining therapy or counseling can significantly alleviate your tinnitus symptoms. Contact Decibel Hearing Services today to discuss your symptom management options with one of our specialists.