Acupuncture Therapy for Sinusitis-Eradicates Discomfort
According to PubMed, acupuncture is an effective monotherapy or an adjunctive protocol to conventional sinusitis treatment, wherein acupuncture for sinusitis helped patients experience “significant improvements in VAS, TER-effectiveness measurement scale, and quality of life when compared with conventional treatment for CRS.”
Symptoms of Sinusitis
Sinusitis, also referred to as Bi Yuan in TCM jargon, includes facial pain and pressure in the eyes, cheeks, and forehead; thick nasal discharge; stuffy nose; postnasal drip; cough that worsens at night; reduced smell and taste; headache; fatigue; bad breath; and fever.
These cold-like symptoms, which can last more than ten days, are indicative of sinusitis infections.
The causes of Sinusitis
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sinusitis is primarily brought on by external factors like wind, cold, and heat invading the body, which weakens the lungs. This is exacerbated by internal factors like poor diet, stress, and emotional disturbances, which produce dampness and phlegm, blocking the sinuses and cause congestion and inflammation.
The TCM links sinusitis directly to lung dysfunction and spleen weakness, which are further exacerbated by lifestyle choices and external environmental variables.
TCM’s Acupuncture Treatment for Sinusitis: A treatment that relieves patients from sinusitis
Acupuncture for sinusitis is a specialized protocol performed by doctors trained in TCM, working in reputable institutions such as Boston and Boca Chinese Acupuncture Clinics.
Acupuncture therapy includes inserting ultra-thin needles into precise acupoints (clusters of nerves where the vital energy Qi flows to and fro) located along the body’s key energy-carrying routes, known as meridians.
These insertions, which can be manual or electro-acupuncture, are typically combined with herbal formulas and are thought to activate the energy-carrying pathways—meridians—and balance Qi and Yin-Yang, thereby clearing blockages and congestion, alleviating inflammation, reducing sinus discharge, and providing patients more oxygen with less anxiety.
The relevant acupoints can be in the areas around the nose, between the eyebrows, on the hand, and on the feet.
Acupuncture for sinusitis has a successful track record in curbing nasal congestion, a runny nose, allergies, and sinus headaches. Although researchers are skeptical about how acupuncture actually works for patients with sinusitis, the NCCIH research confirms it may also be beneficial for other health concerns, such as nasal polyps, anxiety, and panic attack.
Acupuncture for Sinusitis ameliorates symptoms
Acupuncture can be thoroughly validated for its effectiveness in treating some sinusitis symptoms, such as nasal congestion, running nose and headache caused by allergies and viral infections. It is a very safe treatment and can open up the airway instantaneously.
Healthline, a popular health information website, states that according to a review study in 2022, it was observed that acupuncture for sinusitis may give relief from allergic rhinitis symptoms and increase quality of life in adults when compared to individuals who received no treatment or received sham (placebo) acupuncture treatment for sinusitis.
Benefits of Acupuncture treatment for sinusitis
According to TMC, acupuncture, for sinusitis and other conditions, improves blood and Qi flows, which balances the immune system and enhances the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, helping patients breath and digest better.
According to reports in PubMed, a patient with acute sinusitis experienced relief after the first acupuncture session and was elated to be free of sinus pain after the second without being administered a single dose of allopathic prescription drugs.
PubMed References
- Lee, Byung-Kwan; Kwon, Chang-Yong; Park, Min-Young.
Acupuncture for the Treatment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A PRISMA-Compliant Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
2022 Aug 31; 2022:6429836.
DOI: 10.1155/2022/6429836
PMID: 36091598 | PMCID: PMC9451955 - Bhattacharyya, Neil; Grebner, Jonathan; Martinson, Nicholas G.
Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.
2012 Feb; 146(2):307–312.
DOI: 10.1177/0194599811426089
PMID: 22027867 - Pletcher, Steven D.; Goldberg, Adam N.; Lee, James; Acquah, Joseph.
Use of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Sinus and Nasal Symptoms: Results of a Practitioner Survey.
PMID: 16686397 - Huang, Zhen; Xuan, Xia; Liu, Shuo; Lin, Jun; Qian, Zhi; Chen, Lei; Qiu, Rui; Cai, Yan.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Rhinosinusitis.
Medicine (Baltimore).
PMID: 39612467 | PMCID: PMC11608694
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000040192