A constant ringing or tone
Most noticeable in quiet rooms and at night, and jaw or neck movement doesn't change it.
The sound is there in quiet rooms, at bedtime and first thing in the morning. Clenching or turning your head doesn’t change it. Some people also find everyday noise sharper, and sleep and focus start to slip.
In non-somatic tinnitus, the ringing isn’t driven by jaw or neck input. It is commonly linked to the hearing pathway itself: the auditory nerve, the brainstem and the parts of the brain that process sound. When that pathway raises its own volume, the brain hears a signal with no outside source. Stress and short sleep can make it seem louder. Ringing that does shift with jaw or neck movement has its own page.
ENT and audiology evaluate the ear and monitor your hearing. My part is electroacupuncture, which is dry needling, a form of acupuncture, with a gentle current. Fine needles near the auricular branch of the vagus nerve and other nerves of the outer ear aim to influence signaling in the hearing pathway. When the brainstem seems to be magnifying the sound, I treat at the upper neck and skull base. Those areas feed into the brainstem’s hearing centers, and the aim is to help calm them.
Most people have had a hearing test, an ENT exam, and sometimes a scan. Those are essential, because they look for hearing loss and ear or nerve disease. When results are normal, people are usually told to give it time, and some try medication for sleep or worry. Medication can make nights easier without changing how the hearing pathway is signaling. Electroacupuncture is aimed at that signaling.
I ask when the ringing began, which ear it favors, whether your hearing has changed, and what your ENT found. Then the exam:
Your ENT and audiologist stay in charge of the ear, and I work alongside them. If anything I notice suggests your hearing should be rechecked, I’ll let you know and share what I found.
It doesn’t change when you clench, chew or move your neck. That points to the hearing pathway rather than jaw and neck muscles. If your ringing does shift with movement, my Tinnitus page covers that version.
Possibly, though not everyone responds. Electroacupuncture at the ear nerves aims to change how the hearing pathway fires. Treatment at the skull base targets the brainstem’s amplification. When both seem involved, which is common, I combine them.
Yes. A normal audiogram, the standard hearing test, means major hearing loss wasn’t found. It doesn’t measure how the brain is processing sound, which is where this kind of tinnitus usually sits. Keep your ENT and audiologist involved either way.
Get urgent care for sudden hearing loss, severe vertigo, facial weakness or a sudden severe headache. A whooshing sound in time with your pulse, or new ringing in one ear with other nerve symptoms, needs a prompt medical check. If you haven’t had an ENT or audiology exam yet, start there.
Usually twice a week for six weeks, or three times a week for four if the ringing is severe or slow to shift. That steady rhythm gives the hearing pathway regular input. As the sound becomes less intrusive and stays that way, I taper visits.
I can’t promise it will. The aim is for the sound to feel quieter and less intrusive, with better sleep and focus. Some people notice a lot of change and others very little.
Adults with pelvic floor, nerve and orthopedic pain, along with neurological conditions. Most of my patients come to me after other care hasn't fully settled things. If you're looking for general wellness acupuncture, I'm not the right fit.
We review your history and what you've already tried. I assess the muscles and nerves involved, and you're treated the same day.
It depends on the condition. Pelvic and orthopedic plans usually run 4 to 6 weeks. Neurological plans are usually 2 visits a week for 6 weeks or 3 a week for 4. After that, visits space out so the changes hold. These are typical timelines, not promises.
Yes. I work alongside doctors, physical therapists and specialists. If something I find needs a closer look from one of them, I'll tell you.
I'm an out-of-network provider. You pay at the time of your visit, and my office submits the claim so any reimbursement comes to you. Free benefit checks are available before your first visit through the verification form, and HSA and FSA cards work. I don't take Medicare or Medicaid, though some Medicare Advantage plans reimburse out-of-network care. Full insurance details
Yes. I treat adults, teens and children, though I don't specialize in infants or toddlers.
Yes. Book a free discovery call to ask your questions and see whether we're a good fit.
Dry needling is a form of acupuncture. Fine needles go into tight bands of muscle and trigger points to lower muscle tension and change how the area is signaling.
You may feel a brief twitch or a deep ache as the needle reaches tight muscle. It passes quickly, and any soreness afterward usually fades within a day or two.
It's generally safe with a properly trained practitioner. Needles are sterile and single-use, and I check your health history first, including blood thinners. In New York, dry needling can only be performed by licensed acupuncturists, MDs and DOs. Physical therapists and chiropractors aren't permitted to perform it.
Eat something light beforehand and wear loose clothing that lets me reach the area being treated.
Usually not. Ultrasound helps in a few specific cases, but it hasn't been shown to improve results for common trigger points. A careful hands-on exam is what guides the needle. More on ultrasound-guided dry needling
Dry needling aimed at the pelvic floor and the hip and abdominal muscles around it, for pain, tension and urinary symptoms driven by those muscles and their nerves. More on pelvic floor dry needling
Sometimes, depending on the muscles involved, and you'll be draped throughout. Treatment always follows your consent and comfort. I don't do internal exams or internal treatment.
No, though it helps if you've already seen a doctor or pelvic floor physical therapist. Bring any notes or imaging you have.
Completely. I've heard it all, and there's no judgment here, just a straightforward conversation so we can treat what's going on.
Yes, I treat adults of every gender and identity. After gender-affirming surgery involving the pelvis, bring your surgical notes and we'll decide together what fits.
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Evidence-based acupuncture and dry needling on the Upper West Side. From chronic pain and headaches to pelvic floor dysfunction, Dr. Jordan Barber pairs the highest level of training with care that actually listens.
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