We’re beyond excited to share that Dr. Brian Fligor’s latest article, “A Better Way to Treat Tinnitus Can Also Transform Your Life and Practice,” was just published on Hearing Health Matters! 🎉 In it, Dr. Fligor dives deep into the challenges of tinnitus care, his personal journey, and the groundbreaking technology that’s transforming treatment.
Tinnitus affects more than 10% of adults, and they experience symptoms that range from aggravating to overwhelming. As Dr. Fligor points out, too many patients are told there’s “nothing you can do” — and he’s on a mission to change that. In his article, he shares how embracing tinnitus treatment has not only changed the lives of his patients but transformed his own practice.
A Personal Mission
Dr. Fligor’s passion for helping tinnitus patients goes all the way back to his childhood. His father, a Navy corpsman, suffered from relentless ringing in his ears after years of exposure to gunfire and heavy artillery. One evening, Dr. Fligor vividly remembers seeing his dad pacing back and forth at the dinner table, holding his hands over his ears in pain. When he asked if a doctor could help, his dad responded with what too many people with tinnitus have heard: “They don’t know what to do.”
That experience lit a fire in Dr. Fligor. After initially considering medical school, he pursued biomedical engineering at Boston University, where his undergraduate thesis on binaural hearing led him straight to audiology — and the chance to help people like his dad.
From Frustration to Innovation
When Dr. Fligor acquired his Boston-based practice in 2018, he used the best tools available: tinnitus retraining therapy, progressive tinnitus management, mindfulness techniques, and hearing aids. But tinnitus treatment is as much about compassion and empathy as it is about technology. He emphasizes the importance of understanding each patient’s journey and guiding them through the ups and downs of treatment with care and patience.
Then came a game-changer: Lenire®. This innovative, FDA-approved device uses bimodal stimulation — combining sound with gentle tongue stimulation — to help retrain the brain and reduce tinnitus symptoms. Developed over 13 years in Dublin, Ireland, Lenire’s success rates are astonishing: More than 90% of patients report improvement, and Dr. Fligor has seen firsthand how life-changing it can be. In the past 18 months alone, he’s prescribed Lenire to over 300 patients.
A Boon for Patients and Practices
Lenire isn’t just helping patients — it’s helping practices grow. Dr. Fligor highlights a recent report from My Vitals Pro (MVP), a business intelligence company that analyzed data from over 1,000 audiology clinics. The findings? Clinics offering tinnitus care see higher revenue, more physician referrals, and younger patients (average age: 61) than traditional hearing aid practices. In fact, every practice that’s onboarded Lenire has grown, with an average increase of 32%!
But adopting Lenire isn’t about chasing profits. As Dr. Fligor emphasizes, this technology requires expertise. Neuromod, the company behind Lenire, carefully selects clinics to ensure they have the right training and compassion to support patients through their tinnitus journey. For Dr. Fligor, the reward is personal: the chance to offer real hope where once there was only frustration.
A Call to Action
If you’re an audiologist looking to make a bigger impact, Dr. Fligor encourages diving into tinnitus care. Organizations like the American Board of Audiology and the American Tinnitus Association offer fantastic resources for learning more. He also recommends shadowing experienced tinnitus specialists to see firsthand how powerful this work can be.
The future of tinnitus care is here — and it’s bright. As Dr. Fligor puts it, we’re at a new inflection point in audiology, much like when the first electric hearing aids revolutionized the field over a century ago.
We couldn’t be prouder of Dr. Fligor for leading the charge and sharing his insights on such a respected platform. Want to read more?