Autogenic training for refractory Meniere's disease
Psychosomatic stress plays an important role in the onset and course of Meniere's disease. Surgical treatment and intraventricular gentamicin therapy are the options employed in cases unmanageable by conventional medical treatment, but psychotherapy, including autonomic training (AT), used as a general relaxation technique, is not widely accepted. This paper described the successful administration of AT in a subject suffering from intractable Meniere's disease.
The patient was a 51-year-old man.
In May 2002, he was admitted to the hospital due to a severe attack of vertigo accompanied by right-sided sensorineural hearing loss. In May 2002, he was hospitalized for a severe attack of vertigo with right-sided sensorineural hearing loss, at which time spontaneous nystagmus toward the right side was observed. Since April 2004, he had been experiencing vertigo with right-sided tinnitus several times a month, which was difficult to treat with conventional medical treatment. Four months later, he underwent tympanic membrane insertion in the right eardrum.
However, there was no effect from intratympanic injection of dexamethasone and he refused menyet therapy and intratympanic gentamicin injection.
He was suffering from vertigo, tinnitus, insomnia, and anxiety.
Tranquilizers such as benzodiazepines and antidepressants such as serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) did not eliminate the vertigo, but insomnia was slightly improved.
In December 2006, the patient started psychological counseling with a psychotherapist. After a brief psychological counseling along with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), he started autogenic training (AT). He continued AT training regularly at home according to a written schedule, and his insomnia, tinnitus, and vertigo disappeared within a few weeks after only four psychotherapy sessions.
To further master the six standard formulas of AT, he underwent two sessions and then nine months of follow-up without additional treatment.He is now continuing AT without taking any medications, including tranquilizers, and no additional treatment was given.
Goto, F., Nakai, K., Kunihiro, T. et al. Case report: a case of intractable Meniere's disease treated with autogenic training. BioPsychoSocial Med 2, 3 ( 2008). BioPsychoSocial Med 2, 3 ( 2008). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0759-2-3
What is the Autogenic Training Method?
The autogenic training method was systematized by German psychiatrist Schultz (J. H. Schultz) in 1932. According to Schultz, it is "a physiologically rational training method for obtaining a neutral hypnotic state, which leads to a transformation of the body and mind in general.
Briefly, it is a method of deprivation without external stimuli.
If you are interested in this method, please Google it and search for sites that provide details.
Summary
This is a case study of a patient diagnosed with intractable Meniere's disease who was unable to alleviate his symptoms with commonly available treatments, so he tried psychotherapy and his symptoms disappeared within a few months.
Since this is only a case study, it is not a conclusion that psychotherapy is invincible. This is not a conclusion like "psychotherapy is invincible," but rather, I thought it should be adopted as one of the treatment methods, which is why I introduced it in this blog.
I've seen materials describing autogenic training methods as something that can be practiced by oneself, but if you are troubled by similar symptoms and are considering psychotherapy, it would be better to have a session with a specialist who specializes in these methods.
