Journal of Allergy & Therapy

Abstract

An Osteopathic Approach to Chronic Sinusitis

Mary Lee-Wong*, Merhunisa Karagic, Ankur Doshi, Shirley Gomez and David Resnick

Background: Patients with sinus pain and discomfort often seek additional adjunct therapies. Objective: To determine the efficacy of osteopathic manipulation techniques (OMT) to relieve sinus pain in our outpatient allergy clinic setting. Methods: Sixteen patients who presented to our clinic in pain and requesting alternative therapies for relief of their chronic sinus pain were offered to receive OMT treatment as an adjunct to their office visit. One patient declined participation after receiving printed information about the OMT techniques. The remaining fifteen patients were given a symptom score card to assess the severity of their sinus pain before offering OMT. The OMT offered consisted of four different direct pressures and "milking" techniques combined with one sinus drainage technique. These five techniques were selected to relieve sinus pain, pressure, and congestion by unblocking nasal passages and improving lymphatic flow. Each technique was given for 3 minutes and the entire process took approximately 18 minutes to complete. Results: Each patient was given a symptom score card to rate their symptoms before and after manipulation. Data was plotted and statistical analysis computed with GraphPad Software using paired t-test. OMT was not associated with any adverse effects or complaints. Nine of the 15 patients reported symptom relief immediately following OMT. The average reported sinus pain/congestion before OMT was 3.07 (Moderate.) Following OMT, sinus pain/congestion decreased to 2.33 (Minimal.) Average decrease in symptom score after OMT was 0.74 with a p-value of 0.0012 via paired t-test. Subjective data reported by the patients showed symptom improvement immediately following each OMT session. Four of the fifteen patients reported minimal pain during the procedure. No other adverse effects were reported. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that after OMT, utilizing direct pressure and sinus drainage technique, the overall sinus pain/congestion for all patients improved (p=0.0012). All fifteen patients reported feeling more relaxed after OMT.