TENS Therapy for Bruxism and Tinnitus Relief

A 2026 randomized controlled trial found that a specific form of electrical muscle stimulation reduced tinnitus severity, jaw pain, and anxiety in people whose tinnitus is linked to teeth grinding.

A Targeted Approach for a Common Subtype

For many people with tinnitus, the phantom sound is directly connected to jaw tension and teeth grinding, known as bruxism. The study by Zehra Aydoğan and colleagues at Ankara University focused specifically on this group. They recruited 31 adults with normal hearing but chronic, subjective tinnitus they believed was related to their bruxism. The goal was to see if calming the overactive jaw muscles could also quiet the tinnitus.

This approach is based on the well-established somatosensory link, where input from muscles and nerves in the head and neck can influence the auditory brain regions generating tinnitus. Our site has previously explored related concepts in Masseter Muscle TENS Therapy for Tinnitus Relief and Masseter Muscle Stimulation for Bruxism-Related Tinnitus.

Methodology: Testing a Non-Invasive Stimulation Protocol

The researchers designed a straightforward test. They randomly assigned participants to either an active treatment group (18 people) or a control group (13 people). The active treatment used a pencil-electrode transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device applied to the masseter muscle, the main chewing muscle on the side of the jaw.

Participants in the TENS group received 20-minute sessions, four times per week, for a total of five weeks. The control group received no intervention during this period. To measure effects, the team used a battery of validated questionnaires and a physical measure. These included the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Visual Analog Scales (VAS) for jaw discomfort and tinnitus loudness, anxiety screening (GAD-7), and an Oral Behavior Checklist. They also measured mandibular range of motion and used the SF-36 to assess quality of life. All measures were taken at the start and immediately after the 5-week period.

Significant Improvements Across Multiple Domains

The results, published in Brain and Behavior, showed clear benefits for the group receiving masseter TENS. Compared to the control group, they experienced significant reductions in their total tinnitus handicap score and all sub-scores of the THI.

Improvements were not limited to tinnitus. The same participants reported their bruxism-related jaw discomfort dropped on the VAS scale. Their anxiety scores decreased, and they reported fewer oral parafunctional habits like clenching. Physically, their jaw’s range of motion improved. On the quality of life survey, they scored better in the areas of bodily pain and general health. The control group showed no significant changes on any of these measures.

Understanding the Mechanism: More Than Just Muscle Relaxation

While relaxing a tense muscle can provide relief, the authors propose the effect is likely more complex. The electrical stimulation is thought to act as a neuromodulatory signal. By sending consistent, patterned input via the trigeminal nerve from the masseter, the therapy may interfere with the abnormal neural activity in the brain that sustains tinnitus. This supports a model where tinnitus is not solely an “ear” problem but often a “brain” problem influenced by multiple sensory systems.

This concept of neural retraining is also explored in other auditory conditions. For instance, research into Reversing Amygdala Changes After Hearing Loss examines how other brain networks can be targeted for therapeutic benefit.

Practical Implications and Future Directions

For clinicians and patients, this study points to a practical, non-invasive option for a specific tinnitus subgroup. The pencil-electrode TENS protocol is simple, can be administered by a trained therapist, and appears free of major side effects in this study. It underscores the importance of a thorough assessment to identify patients whose tinnitus may have a somatosensory component, particularly from the jaw.

The next steps will involve larger studies with longer follow-up periods to see how durable the benefits are. Research could also compare this method to other standard treatments for bruxism, like occlusal splints, or combine them for a multimodal approach. Importantly, this therapy is distinct from more invasive cervical nerve treatments, which carry different considerations, as noted in our article on Syncope Risk in Cervical Nerve Treatments for Pain.

The study “Targeting Tinnitus via Masseter Muscle Stimulation: Innovative Pencil-Electrode TENS Therapy for Bruxism-Associated Tinnitus” (DOI: 10.1002/brb3.71443, PMID: 42050847) provides evidence that a five-week course of masseter muscle TENS can reduce the impact of tinnitus, alleviate jaw discomfort, and improve well-being in individuals with bruxism-associated tinnitus. It is a focused example of how treating a co-occurring condition can directly address a complex auditory symptom.