Mr. Daniel Allan reports

Audiotech Healthcare's downtown Kamloops and Salmon Arm, B.C., clinics are now offering Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), a relatively new therapeutic management technique, which has proven highly effective in alleviating the symptoms of this common and potentially devastating hearing disorder.

Tinnitus generally refers to any sound being heard by a patient that is not related to an actual sound in his or her environment. Most frequently, tinnitus is described by patients as either a ringing, hissing, buzzing, chirping, or cricket-like sound. It is estimated that as much as 17 per cent of the general population may be affected by tinnitus, a frequent side effect of noise induced hearing loss. For most patients, the symptoms of tinnitus are relatively mild and do not present serious long-term effects. However, for tens of thousands of individuals in North America, the effects of tinnitus are debilitating.

The theory behind TRT was developed by Pawel J. Jastreboff, PhD, in the mid-1980s based on his neurophysiological model of tinnitus. The therapy, which actually involves a multifaceted treatment regimen that includes in-depth education, counselling, sound therapy, and more, was first implemented clinically in the United States in 1988. While limited clinical test data is currently available, early results indicated that TRT may be effective in up to 80 per cent of cases, considerably better than alternative treatments. In addition, TRT does not have the potential side effects and other risks that are inherent in alternative treatments such as medication and surgery.

Audiotech's downtown Kamloops and Salmon Arm clinics are the first in B.C.'s Thompson/Okanagan region and among the first in Canada to offer the therapy. As a result, the company expects that these clinics will become regional referral centres for patients requesting the therapy and for audiologists seeking more effective ways to treat their patients with the disorder. The company anticipates that TRT will contribute significantly to its clinics' organic growth over the coming years.