Blocked nose? Acupuncture for sinuses.
Blocked and painful sinuses can be a great source of suffering. Using Japanese-style acupuncture, Dr Caleb Mortensen at Kotan Acupuncture can help clear up nasal passages and get rid of excess mucus.
Chinese medicine and sinus issues.
In Chinese medicine, blocked sinuses are usually the result of an internal condition known as “damp” being pushed up into the face. There are several factors at work here.
Firstly, there is the production of mucus, usually connected to the lung and spleen energies. Secondly, there is the motive force launching the damp upwards (against its usual drooping nature), into the face. These patients have runny noses, swollen eyes and a red nose from blowing. They respond better to very shallow needling and moxibustion to allow the excess Yang to disperse.
Other patients have an even deeper damp, a.k.a thicker, denser “Phlegm”. This Phlegm is terribly sticky, gets itself caught up in the sinuses and can be difficult to move. Often the heat or Yang energies have been strong and the Yin has been deficient. Recurring fevers and infections can bring about this condition. Phlegm can indicate a more chronic condition and requires different needling techniques to clear the sinus passages.
Sinus blockages can also cause temporary loss of smell. If untreated, smell loss can last for years. I’ve had patients come in who’ve lost their sense of smell despite having no blockages in the navel cavity. After a few rounds of acupuncture treatment, these patients could smell once again!
The Research
Much of the research into acupuncture for sinus issues has been positive, sometimes even glowing. A trial looking at treatments for persistent allergic rhinitis found that acupuncture had a “profound effect on the prevention of persistent allergic rhinitis.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5765676/
The next two studies were related to the use of moxibustion in the treatment of rhinitis. Both studies showed positive effects of moxibustion in long term for sufferers of allergic rhinitis. One in particular encouraged using moxibustion for this condition, a practice which unfortunately is rarely performed in many acupuncture clinics today (a personal gripe of mine).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29318861
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30094983
In this last study looks at Chinese acupuncture for all sinus problems, the authors show the effectiveness of Guasha (a scrapping technique common in acupuncture) in contrast to anti-histamines. The authors of this small study showed that the use of Guasha had a definite effect on allergic rhinitis.