When I was growing up, my mother used to complain regularly about her buzzing ears that were driving her mad. Not sure how long it lasted, or if she found a cure. However, she hasn’t complained for years.
Recently Carina Bezzera Rocha, a tinnitus physical therapist contacted me for English language assistance for making a presentation to a group of online medical practitioners and students from Iowa, in the United States of America.
Tinnitus is when you experience ringing or other noises in one or both of your ears. The noise you hear when you have tinnitus isn't caused by an external sound, and other people usually can't hear it. Tinnitus is a common problem. It affects around 15% to 20% of people, and is especially common in older adults according to my online research.
Addressing these impairments through physical therapy may help reduce or eliminate the perception of tinnitus. There is strong evidence to support the use of physical therapy to treat tinnitus that is of musculoskeletal origin. Many sources say it cannot be cured though treatment can lead to subsidence and general manageability.
Carina wants to make a difference to those suffering from the illness. She qualified in the 90s, and has been on a consistent growing curve since the turn of the century. Apart from treating patients she teaches online education which includes podcasts over the last years to help those in need; both professionally and those who suffer from tinnitus.
Although she already speaks fairly good English, written material was checked and then support given at the end of the online international forum.
It was discovered during the questioning stage from health practitioners that physical therapy for tinnitus in the States isn’t commonplace and that medics were in doubt of where to send patients after their consultations.
The obvious question then is if physical therapy offers an effective solution? And that depends on the cause and certain types that can be treated effectively by physical therapy.
There can be a link between tinnitus and musculoskeletal disorders such as joint stiffness and myofascial trigger points. There is more to it, and Carina who has the technical knowhow is currently promoting the topic for international recognition.
She will be going to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in September for the 2nd World Tinnitus Congress where she will be making a speech about her profession, and how physical therapy plays its role in helping sufferers.
Have a great day!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Ringing (n) = drumming, buzzing, humming zumbido
Impairments (n) = damages, losses, weakening, diminishing, (ant) enhancements deficiências
Manageability (n) = manageableness capacidade de gerenciamento
Turn of the century (idiom) = The beginning or end of a particular century, as in that idiom dates from the turn of the century, that is to say, about 1900. This expression was first recorded in 1926.
Knowhow (n) = knowledge, experience, expertise, savvy, proficiency, competence, awareness, ease, fluency
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