Ask Fiona: Can Sound Therapy Help with Dizziness and Vertigo?

Dear Fiona,

I’ve heard people talk about using sound therapy for dizziness and vertigo. Can listening to certain sounds or music really help? If so, how does it work?

— Curious About Sound

This is a great question! Yes, sound can help treat symptoms of vestibular disorders, including dizziness, vertigo, motion sickness, headache, balance impairments, and tinnitus. The key is that it may be used as a complementary intervention alongside standard, reliable treatments, rather than as a cure for the underlying disorder.

Sound therapy aims to influence how the brain processes sensory information, manages stress, and/or adapts to vestibular symptoms.

Researchers are beginning to explore this topic more closely. Here’s what we know so far.

Your ears do more than hear

The auditory system (the body’s hearing system) and the vestibular system (part of the brain and inner ear) are closely related, in proximity and physiologically. They send information to many of the same brain areas and work as a team to help people navigate their surroundings. They have a bidirectional relationship, meaning each affects the other and can influence how the other functions. Because of this relationship, researchers have studied the influence of sound awareness on balance and found that sound awareness improves balance, just as vision, touch, and movement do.

When you’re upright and moving, your brain combines information from your vestibular system, vision, and the feeling in your muscles and joints to maintain balance. It also uses environmental sounds to help orient you.

Think about walking through your home in the dark. The hum of the refrigerator, the sound of running water, or voices from another room all help your brain understand where you are in space. Some studies suggest that removing these familiar sounds can make balance slightly less steady, while adding consistent sound may improve stability in certain situations.

Researchers believe that sound may provide additional information that helps the brain build a better picture of the environment.

Sound therapy may help calm the nervous system

Living with chronic dizziness can be stressful. Many people experience anxiety, increased alertness, or sensory overload because they never know when symptoms will flare. This keeps the nervous system in a state of defense, which in turn heightens symptoms.

A growing body of literature supports the benefits of sound therapy, which, when used correctly, can reduce stress, lower muscle tension, and help shift the nervous system into a more relaxed state. Many people notice that when they’re less anxious or overwhelmed, their dizziness and other symptoms are easier to manage.

Several common methods of sound therapy mentioned in the literature are listed below (keep in mind the last two methods are much less supported by evidence).

Vibroacoustic therapy

• Focuses on the vibratory effects of sound delivered at specific frequencies, typically 30-120Hz.
• The vestibular system reacts to sounds (tones and frequencies) and may improve function and symptoms based on the properties of those sounds.

Music therapy

• Passively listening to music based on either the individual’s preference or a predefined music stimulus implemented by a therapist
• A music therapist facilitates therapy sessions. Usually uses soothing, slow, flowing, non-lyrical music.

Binaural beats

• A technique in which two different sound frequencies are played separately in each ear simultaneously, producing a third tone. The third tone creates an auditory illusion thought to help reduce symptoms.

Sound bath therapy

• A practice in which an individual immerses themselves in particular sounds made by instruments such as sound bowls, gongs, tuning forks, or chimes

Rhythm may help with movement

Rhythmic sounds can help coordinate movement. Physical therapists have long used rhythmic auditory cues—such as a metronome or music with a steady beat—to improve walking in people with neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease and stroke.

Researchers are beginning to investigate whether similar approaches might benefit people with vestibular disorders by improving gait, confidence, and movement patterns during rehabilitation. This remains an emerging area of research, but the early findings are encouraging. 

What about tinnitus?

Some people asking about sound therapy are referring to treatments for tinnitus (ringing in the ears), which commonly occurs alongside vestibular disorders such as Ménière’s disease or vestibular migraine.

Sound therapy is an established management strategy for tinnitus. Background sounds, white noise, nature sounds, or specially designed sound programs can make tinnitus less noticeable and reduce the distress it causes. If tinnitus is contributing to stress or poor sleep, managing it may indirectly improve overall well-being—even if it doesn’t directly reduce dizziness.

What does the research say?

The evidence continues to develop. Small studies suggest that sound can influence balance performance under certain conditions, and researchers continue to investigate how sound interacts with the vestibular system. Be cautious of treatments that claim a cure; currently, no high-quality clinical evidence supports this.

The question remains…Should you try sound therapy?

Healthcare professionals practice using Evidence-Based Practice (EBP). EBP integrates three pillars: 1) the best available evidence or research, 2) clinical expertise, and 3) YOU (your goals, beliefs, and choices).

This means that if YOU enjoy listening to calming music, nature sounds, or other relaxing audio and it makes you feel better, go for it. It may help you relax, sleep better, or feel less overwhelmed by your symptoms.

That’s a win-win!

If you notice that certain sounds make your symptoms worse—for example, because of sound sensitivity associated with vestibular migraine or another condition—it’s perfectly reasonable to avoid those sounds and discuss your symptoms with your clinician.

Researchers continue to learn more about how hearing, balance, vision, and the brain work together. As we better understand these connections, sound-based therapies may eventually be supported by stronger studies and research. For now, consider them a tool to support relaxation, orientation, and recovery rather than a standalone treatment.

Article reviewed by Denise Schneider, DPT, and Christine Strange, AuD

Related Research

1. Bartel L, Mosabbir A. Possible Mechanisms for the Effects of Sound Vibration on Human Health. Healthcare. 2021; 9(5):597.
2. Belluscio, V et al. Facilitating or disturbing? An investigation about the effects of auditory frequencies on prefrontal cortex activation and postural sway. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 22 June 2023; 1-12.
3. Chen, R et al. Effects of Auditory Frequency Stimulation on Balance and Rehabilitation Outcomes in Patients With Stroke: A Randomized Case-Control Study. Brain and behavior, 2025: 15(7).
4. Ingendoh, R. Et al. Binaural beats to entrain the brain? A systematic review of the effects of binaural beat stimulation on brain oscillatory activity, and the implications for psychological research and intervention. PloS One. May 19, 2023;18(5):1-21
5. Kamioka, H. et al. Effectiveness of music therapy: a summary of systematic reviews based on randomized controlled trials of music interventions. Patient preference and adherence. May 16, 2014.(8): 727–754.
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