Acupuncture for sinusitis is an effective an useful integrative treatment that should not be overlooked. Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in Eastern medicine to treat sinusitis.  In Western medicine, however, the benefits of acupuncture for sinusitis are largely ignored, and antibiotics are often the treatment of choices in chronic cases. When antibiotics and other medications aren’t relieving the problem, the next step is usually surgery, without ever trying the time-proven treatment of acupuncture.

This overlooking of acupuncture for sinusitis treatment is unfortunate because it provides an effective alternative to antibiotics and other medication, which are costly, can be abused, and often result in negative side effects.

SINUNITIS: A REAL PAIN IN THE HEAD

At some point in their life, almost everybody contracts sinusitis—an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, or environmental conditions. The symptoms are familiar—mucus-clogged sinuses, headaches, facial aches, labored breathing, and coughing.

Acute sinusitis is typically caused by viruses and usually runs its course in 7 to 10 days, but acupuncture can clear sinuses, relieve pain, and speed recovery quicker than 7 to 10 days. 

In cases when the condition just won’t go away, acupuncture for sinusitis is an effective stand alone alternative or complement to traditional Western treatment. Acupuncture can be used as part of a holistic medicine approach that includes herbal therapy, diet, and necessary medications and manual treatments. These more holistic health approaches can be invaluable in helping chronic sinusitis sufferers recover without undergoing surgery.

SINUSITIS PATTERNS AND TREATMENTS

When using acupuncture for sinusitis, an acupuncture professional will diagnose the sinusitis pattern and then select acupuncture points accordingly.

Recognized Chinese medicine patterns are below for reference:

• lung heat
• lung/spleen damp heat
• lung/spleen dampness
• deficient lung
• large intestine channel disturbance
• qi stagnation.

Commonly used points in acupuncture for sinusitis include:

• Xin-Hui (GV 22) - top of head
• Shang Xing (GV 23) - near forehead
• He Liao (LI 19) - near sinuses
• Ying Xiang (LI 20) - near sinuses
• Lie Que (LU -7)- near wrist

This list of relevant points is by no means exhaustive. An acupuncture phoenix professional will combine the use of these points and others to treat specific patterns and symptoms that are individualized to you. 

KEY POINT

Acupuncture for sinusitis is an effective alternative and complement to traditional antibiotic therapy and to surgery. When effective treatments like acupuncture are ignored, patients are exposed to the unneeded dangers of antibiotics and other invasive procedures. If you suffer from seasonal or chronic sinusitis, consider acupuncture for sinusitis to support your current treatment. 

To learn more about our acupuncture phoenix clinic and our treatments, click on the link below for a free consult.