What question did this study set out to answer?

To compare the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with moxibustion versus acupuncture alone in alleviating symptoms and inflammation in chronic rhinosinusitis.

March 14, 2026Open Access

Effect of Acupuncture and Moxibustion on Disease Severity in Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

SNSowmiya N.Guru Nanak Dev University KKK. K. KanimozhiTamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University GSGeethanjali STamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University

Key Points

To compare the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with moxibustion versus acupuncture alone in alleviating symptoms and inflammation in chronic rhinosinusitis.
Randomized controlled trial with two groups of 30 CRS patients each.
Study group received acupuncture with moxibustion three times weekly for 6 weeks.
Control group received only acupuncture for the same duration.
Primary outcome measured was the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), with secondary outcomes including C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
Significantly greater improvement in SNOT-22 scores in the study group compared to controls (p < 0.001).
CRP levels decreased more in the study group, highlighting reduced inflammation (p < 0.001).
ESR also showed significant improvement in the study group (p < 0.001).

Abstract

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a prevalent inflammatory condition with limited effective therapies.Traditional Chinese medicine may offer complementary treatment options.To compare the efficacy of combined acupuncture and moxibustion versus acupuncture alone in reducing disease severity and inflammatory markers in CRS patients.This randomized controlled trial was conducted at the International Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy Medical Sciences, Chengalpattu, India.Sixty CRS patients aged 18-45 years were randomized (1 : 1) into two groups.The study group (n = 30) received acupuncture at EX1 (Yintang), LI4 (Hegu), GB14 (Yangbai), and GB20 (Fengchi) plus moxibustion for 20 minutes, three times weekly for 6 weeks.The control group (n = 30) received identical acupuncture without moxibustion.Primary outcome was the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22); secondary outcomes included C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).All 60 patients completed the study.The study group demonstrated significantly greater SNOT-22 improvement (29.2 6.64 to 12.9 4.87) compared with controls (27.1 4.53 to 25.6 4.18; p < 0.001).CRP decreased more in the study group (5.53 0.499 to 2.84 0.903 mg/L) versus controls (5.51 0.516 to 5.03 0.413 mg/L; p < 0.001).ESR similarly improved significantly in the study group (53.1 8.75 to 22.9 10.0 mm/h) versus controls (52.2 10.9 to 48.0 10.4 mm/h; p < 0.001).Combined acupuncture and moxibustion demonstrated superior efficacy over acupuncture alone in reducing CRS symptoms and inflammatory markers, supporting moxibustion as a valuable adjunct therapy.

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