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Rhinitis Research
Alternative
& Complementary Therapies
Acupuncture
& Rhinitis
The effect of acupuncture
therapy was compared with conventional antihistaminic therapy in 45
patients belonging to the age group of 15 to 45 years (mean 28.48) of both
genders suffering from allergic rhinitis. Symptomatic improvement and
laboratory findings suggested that though both therapies are good in
giving relief to the patients, acupuncture therapy proved better and had a
prolonged effect.
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Chari P. Biwas S. Mann SB. Sehgal S. Mehra YN. Acupuncture therapy in
allergic rhinitis. American journal of Acupuncture 1988;16:143-148.
Patients with vasomotor rhinitis (28) and pollenosis (23) were
subjected to psychosomatic examination and treated either by acupuncture
or phonostimulation exclusively. Acupuncture was performed after the
classical method in 22 patients and phonostimulation in 29. Evaluation of
the results was based on laryngological examinations and appraisals
entered by the patients in special personal diaries. In pollenosis the
condition was unchanged by the treatment. In vasomotor rhinitis, on the
other hand, in which psychic factors were of importance, some of the
patients usually improved temporarily at the beginning of treatment,
whereas a few suffered exacerbation. These effects may be attributable to
suggestion.
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Czubalski K. Zawisza E. Borzecki M. Bochenek Z. Acupuncture and
phonostimulation in pollenosis and vasomotor rhinitis in the light of
psychosomatic investigations. Acta Oto Laryngologica I 977;84:446-449.
The purpose of this pilot project was to evaluate the immediate effects
of real acupuncture compared with two placebo controls (sham acupuncture
and most transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) in the treatment of
nonallergic rhinitis patients. These three treatments were given in a
nonrandomized order to the same patients at weekly intervals. Real
acupuncture showed an improvement in nasal airways resistance after
treatment in 9 of 13 patients, sham acupuncture in 2 of 9, and mock
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in 3 of 10 patients. With the
exception of improvement in a minimal cross-sectional area (measured by
acoustic rhinometry) in the real acupuncture group following treatment,
the outcome was not statistically significant. This pilot study raised a
number of issues related to the effects of acupuncture in nonallergic
rhinitis that must be addressed by a study involving more patients in
which the order of treatment is randomized and the two placebo control
treatments are evaluated in relation to their credibility.
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Davies A. Lewith G. Goddard j. Howarth P. The effect of acupuncture on
nonallergic rhinitis: a controlled pilot study. Alt. Therapies Jan I
998;4( I ):70-74.
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Herbal Treatment
& Rhinitis
In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, the
safety and efficacy of 900mg/day sobrerol granules given for up to 0 days
was assessed in 40 patients with chronic catarrhal rhinosinusitis. At the
beginning of treatment a total of six patients had a fever, whereas body
temperature was normal in all patients at the end of the treatment.
Treatment with sobrerol significantly (P less than 0.01) reduced frontal
headache and rhinorrhoea, efficacy being confirmed by rhinomanometry.
Patients treated with placebo experienced an improvement in frontal
headache, rhinorrhoea, and overall rhinomanometry scores. Treatment with
sobrerol was well tolerated but two patients treated with placebo reported
adverse reactions (stomach pain and cutaneous rash). These preliminary
data suggest that sobrerol could be useful if administered with an
anti-inflammatory drug for the treatment of chronic catarrhal
rhinosinusitis.
- Bellussi L. Macmi G. Buccella MG. Cacchi R. Evaluation of the efficacy
and safety of sobrerol granules in patients suffering from chronic
rhinosinusitis. journal of International Medical Research 1990; 8:454-459.
Ninety-eight individuals took part in a double-blind randomized study
comparing the effects of a freeze-dried preparation of Urtica dioica
(stinging nettles) with placebo on allergic rhinitis. Sixty-nine
individuals completed the study. Assessment was based on daily symptom
diaries, and global response recorded at the follow-up visit after one
week of therapy. Urtica dioica was rated higher than placebo in the global
assessments. Comparing the diary data Urtica dioica was rated only
slightly higher.
- Mittman P. Randomized, double-blind study of freeze-dried Ultra dioica
in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Planta Medica 990:56:44-47.
Results of a crossover double-blind trial on 110 bronchial asthma
patients with leaves of Tylophora indica and of spinach (placebo) are
presented. The dose was one leaf daily for six days to be chewed and
swallowed early in the morning. A 12 week follow-up was done. At the end
of one week, 62 per cent of the Tylophora group had complete to moderate
relief in symptoms, as compared with 28 per cent of the placebo group. At
four weeks, the respective figures were 37 per cent and 11 per cent; at
eight weeks, 50 per cent and 7.4 per cent; and at twelve weeks, 16 per
cent and zero per cent. The incidence of side effects, such as sore mouth,
loss of taste for salt, and/or morning nausea and vomiting was 53 per cent
in the Tylophora group and 9 per cent in the placebo group. There appeared
to be a correlation between the incidence of side effects and degree of
improvement. After crossover at the end of one week, 50 per cent of the
Tylophora group had complete to moderate relief as compared with 11 per
cent of the placebo group. The authors are not aware of any other drug,
which when administered in a small dose once a day for six days only, will
suppress the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and/or asthma for eight to
twelve weeks in a significant number of patients. It is postulated that
irritative effects of the juice of the Tylophora leaf on the mucous
membranes of the mouth, tongue, and stomach somehow suppress of diminish
the response of the nasobronchial tissue to an inhalant allergen through
some reflex mechanism.
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Shivpuri DN. Menon MP. Prakash D. Preliminary
studies in Tylophora indica in the treatment of asthma and allergic
rhinitis. journal of the Association of Physicians of India 1968:16:9-15.
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Shivpuri DN. Menon MP. Prakash D. A crossover
double-blind study on Tylophora indica
in the treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis. journal of Allergy
1969:43:145-150.
A Chinese blended
medicine, Mao-bushi-saishi-to was not found to be as effective as an
antihistamine in seasonal pollinosis and although Sho-seirgu-to, a
traditional Japanese herbal medicine, has been demonstrated in vitro to
have anticholinergic effects, this has not been subjected to controlled
trial evaluation under clinical circumstances.
A trial of the terpene, soberol, which promotes mucocillary clearance,
produced significant improvement in rhinorrhoea and frontral headache but
these symptoms also improved in placebo-treated patients over the 10-day
treatment period, so no conclusive evidence to support the use of soberol
in chronic catarrhal rhinosinusitis could be established in this study.
Conclusions: - At present there is insufficient evidence to promote the
use of alternative medicine for the treatment of rhinitis. The sublingual
use of allergen immunotherapy does, however, appear beneficial and this
identifies a need for further carefully conducted studies of homoeopathy
in allergic rhinitis.
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This page was last updated on 05 December 2006 16:53:44
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