Exploring treatment for Meniere's Disease
By Audrey Townsend - MSc in Acupuncture
Abstract
This study investigates the effectiveness of treating Meniere’s Disease (MD) with acupuncture. The sample size was originally five patients. Of these only one (P1) completed a course of treatment with acupuncture. Two patients upon being referred for specialist investigations were told they did not have MD. Two other patients discontinued treatment due to family bereavements and illness, one of these (P2) opted voluntarily to keep a record of her symptoms of MD over a similar timescale as the treated patient, acting as a form of control for the symptoms of tinnitus, nausea, vertigo, sense of well being and the ability to perform a daily task that was affected by the symptoms of MD.
The study was a n=1 study with an AB design using method triangulation data. This data consisted of a Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis for P1 and P2 and subsequent daily patient recording of the above mentioned symptoms over a seven week period. P1 did not enter into treatment until week three, thus giving a two week pre-treatment record of untreated symptoms. These records were converted into graph form to enable comparison and to show any changes.
Further data was elicited for P1 in the form of an independently conducted hearing test prior to and post treatment. Finally a semi-structured interview was conducted post-treatment to constitute a form of post intervention to see how effective the treatment was from the patients point of view.
Analysis of the data showed a reduction of recorded symptoms from the pre-treatment to the post-treatment with acupuncture, with an improvement in all symptoms after the treatment began. There was also an improved degree of hearing shown by the independent testing, as well as the patient reporting, in the interview, a sustained improvement in all symptoms over a period of time.
P2 showed fluctuating symptoms throughout the recording period with the exception of the symptom of tinnitus which actually improved over the period. Also indicated by P2’s result was a link with MD symptoms and stress factors. This aroused considerations about how effective the treatment for P1 would be if they had suffered stress during the treatment period as well as the role of natural remission and placebo effects in the treatment of MD with acupuncture. These and other areas related to the Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine literature are discussed.
