Al Huda Acupunture

Acupuncture Treatment for Sinusitis

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucous membranes of the sinus cavities, which are found around the eyes inside the skull. Both allergy and viral infections can trigger sinusitis and sinus headache, as well as exposure to directly irritating substances such as smoke and cosmetic fragrances. Sinus congestion or sinus pain can also be the result. Sinusitis and allergy symptoms are increasing in our society, and often require treatment with powerful drugs which cause a variety of side effects.

Allergy to inhaled pollutants and pollen also contribute to sinus diseases. Most modern cities have problems with air quality outdoors, and indoor air is subject to pollution by furnishings, household chemicals, cosmetics and pet dander. Casual use of lawn chemicals and pesticides have also affected a number of my patients.

Symptoms of allergy and hypersensitivity may affect the body in the sinuses, the airways, the mucous membranes, the lungs or the skin. Some individuals develop problems in all of these areas. Sinus symptoms may include sinus congestion, watery or sticky discharges, sinus pain, sinus headache and sinus pressure. Sinus inflammation can also trigger facial headaches as well as “migraine” type vascular headaches.

The use of acupuncture and dietary therapy can be very helpful to reduce or eliminate the signs and symptoms of allergic and irritant sinusitis, sinus headache, sinus pain, and sinus congestion. Patients report that they can use fewer medications and feel better.

Acupuncture therapy and traditional Oriental medicinal prepared from different herbs are very effective in relieving many complex physical disorders like sinusitis, sinus headache, sinus congestion, and sinus pain.

When you decide to undergo acupuncture for sinusitis, sinus headache, chronic sinus congestion, or sinus allergy, an individualized treatment program will be designed for your particular imbalance.

Time will prove that traditional methods of treatment like acupuncture help to reduce medical cost and suffering. One secret of improving health lies in the use of traditional medicine for helping your physical and emotional imbalances.

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After

Acupuncture is a component of traditional Chinese medicine that originated in China over 5,000 years ago. It is based on the belief that living beings have a vital energy, called “qi”, that circulates through twelve invisible energy lines known as meridians on the body. Each meridian is associated with a different organ system. An imbalance in the flow of qi throughout a meridian is how disease begins.

Acupuncturists insert needles into specified points along meridian lines to influence the restore balance to the flow of qi. There are over 1,000 acupuncture points on the body.

In 1997, acupuncture needles were reclassified from “experimental” to “medical device” by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The National Institutes of Health released a consensus statment in the same year endorsing acupuncture for the treatment of a variety of conditions such as post-operative pain, tennis elbow, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Acupuncture is one of the best known of the alternative therapies. The FDA estimates that people in the United States spend more than $500 million annually on acupuncture treatments. Many people have insurance coverage for acupuncture.

A study published early February in the British Medical Journal examined the link between acupuncture and successful in vitro fertilization. Editorializing headlines had rewritten the science within a week. The study was covered by news organizations, including Fox News, MSNBC, The Examiner, and The Washington Times, all declaring that “fertility benefits from old remedy.” The message was that scientists have now shown conclusively that acupuncture fosters successful pregnancies.

But embedded in the original article is the caveat that the theory is “far from proven.” In the seven studies conducted for the paper, only three found the effect of acupuncture on IVF patients significant. One of the studies found no relation between IVF success and acupuncture, and the remaining three “found a trend toward benefit.” The authors pooled the seven studies in a meta-analysis to find that the odds ratio – the odds of pregnancy through IVF and acupuncture divided by the odds of pregnancy through IVF without acupuncture – was 1.65. Here the word ‘odds’ is used in the statistical sense, not the layman meaning.

The odds of pregnancy through IVF are given by q/(1-q), where q is the probability that someone gets pregnant through IVF. The odds ratio of getting pregnant with acupuncture compared to getting pregnant without it is given by p/(1-p) divided by q/(1-q), where p is the probability that someone gets pregnant through IVF with acupuncture, and q is that probability without acupuncture. The odds ratio can be useful if it is understood in context. In this case, the study itself notes that:

“the odds ratio significantly overestimates the rate ratio in this context, in which the event (pregnancy) is relatively frequent. In absolute terms, the number needed to treat was 10, suggesting that 10 patients would need to be treated with acupuncture to bring about one additional clinical pregnancy.”

The media reported this figure as if acupuncture increases the success rate of IVF by 65 percent, misunderstanding what is meant by the odds ratio. The actual increase in pregnancy likelihood according to this meta-analysis is about ten percent. This alone makes the results far less impressive than they sound.

Though the news reports of this study acknowledged the lack of conclusive evidence supporting acupuncture, the story received lots of media attention. And editors writing headlines seem to undermine the cautious reporting behind it, while missing the consistent mistake made by the press on the meaning of the odds ratio.