The Use of Acupuncture for Chronic sinusitis
Considering that chronic sinusitis is the most common chronic condition facing people in the United States, affecting over 37 million people each year, it is not surprising that people are seeking alternatives to traditional medicines (Cohen, 2003). One of these alternatives is the use of ancient Chinese acupuncture, herbal treatments and other remedies they used. At this point a cure for chronic sinusitis dos not exist, so it is a matter is managing the condition (Cohen, 2003). Chronic sinusitis is defined as “a prolonged sinus infection; one that usually lasts for more than three months when you breathe in through your nose, the sinuses (which are air-filled) act like a filter, which creates mucus. If your sinus pathways do not properly drain, your sinuses can become 'diseased.'” (Cohen, 2003). Western medicine dictates that acceptable treatment is oral antibiotics, use of a nebulizer, intravenous antibiotics and sinus surgery (Cohen, 2003). In spite of these normal treatment options, Chinese methods are being turned into more mainstream practices.
Besides using acupuncture, patients have also used herbs massage and nasal washes (Cohen, 2003). Herbs used includes, “xing ren; jie geng; zi wan; chen pi; lu gen; ma huang; gan cao; xin yi hua; cang er zi; and bai ji li” (Cohen, 2003). Herbs can be cooked, steamed, taken in pill form or have the essential oils used as a vaporizer (Cohen, 2003). White flower oil is often used during acupuncture by being placed just underneath the patients nose (Cohen, 2003). A nasal wash is when a nasal douche of salt water is used to gently clean out the sinus passages; it is important that sea salt be used and that the water be filtered and non-chlorinated (Cohen, 2003). This helps to clear phlegm out of the nasal passage and kill bacteria.
Studies have looked at the effectiveness of acupuncture as a remedy for chronic sinusitis in relation to traditional medicines. To begin with, a survey of acupuncturists who treat those with chronic sinusitis indicates that the acupuncturists feel they are effective at a level of 4.2 out of a scale of 5 (Pletcher, Goldberg, Lee & Acquah, 2006). A test comparing groups of patients with chronic sinusitis who took traditional medicines which included “antibiotics, corticosteroids, 0.9% sodium chloride solution, and local decongestants” taken for 2-4 weeks compared to those who received acupuncture (Pletcher, Goldberg, Lee & Acquah, 2006). Patients were followed up with at four weeks and twelve weeks. In the traditional medicine group, swelling and sinus symptoms had reduced after four weeks; after twelve weeks their health related quality of life had improved (Pletcher, Goldberg, Lee & Acquah, 2006). Those who received acupuncture had a slightly lower rate after four and twelve weeks, but it was statistically insignificant with a p-value of .06. For this study 65 patients were used, and their chronic sinusitis was confirmed using computed tomography (CT) (Pletcher, Goldberg, Lee & Acquah, 2006).
People are often seeking more natural ways to deal with medical issues. Many of these herbal or natural remedies have no scientific basis and are questionable at best. While the idea of using acupuncture for chronic sinusitis might at first seem odd, it has shown to be effective. First of all, people choose to do it, so it must provide some relief for them. Secondly, acupuncturists overwhelmingly feel they have seen an improvement in their patients. Finally, a comparison of its use versus the use of traditional medicine shows that there is no statistically significant difference between using either one. All of this indicates that acupuncture is a viable alternative to traditional medicine in regards to dealing with chronic sinusitis.
References
Cohen, M. (2003). Treatment for a Common Problem: Chronic Sinusitis. Acupuncturetoday.com. Retrieved 11 April 2016, from http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/archives2003/apr/04cohen.html
Pletcher, S., Goldberg, A., Lee, J., & Acquah, J. (2006). Use of acupuncture in the treatment of sinus and nasal symptoms: Results of a practitioner survey. American Journal Of Rhinology, 20(2), 235-237.
