Alternative therapies for chronic rhinosinusitis: A review

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Alternative medicine use for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is rising without robust clinical evidence.
• Keeping up with emerging therapies and their efficacy presents a challenge for healthcare providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review alternative therapies for CRS, their proposed mechanisms, and supporting evidence.
• To identify therapies lacking clinical validation and those showing potential for CRS management.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of English-language literature on alternative CRS therapies.
• Searches conducted in PubMed, Cochrane databases, and bibliography searches.
• Excluded therapies already recommended by professional bodies.

Main Results:

• Many reviewed alternative therapies lack specific clinical evidence for CRS, despite potential scientific basis.
• Therapeutic ultrasonography and phonophoresis show emerging promise with growing positive evidence.
• Baby shampoo, thyme honey, bromelain in saline lavage, and oral Sinupret (echinacea) have some clinical evidence.

Conclusions:

• While some alternative therapies for CRS show promise, robust clinical evidence is often lacking.
• Higher-quality evidence from large, prospective, randomized controlled trials is necessary for recommending these treatments.
• Further research is crucial to validate the efficacy of emerging and existing alternative therapies for CRS.