Latent Myofascial Trigger Point Injection Therapy for Moderate-Severe
Allergic Rhinitis
Abstract
Backgrounds: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is highly prevalent worldwide, but
its treatment is poor. Myofascial trigger point (MTrP) injections have
been effectively used for the management of many chronic painful
diseases. Latent MTrPs (we called Qi points, QiPs) could be with
autonomic nerve phenomena. Little is known about the correlation between
QiPs and AR. Therefore, we proposed the hypothesis that QiPs might play
a role in the pathophysiological mechanisms of AR. The current study was
designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of QiPs injection
therapy for AR. Methods: Sixty-five patients who suffered from moderate
to severe AR were enrolled in this study. All patients received QiPs
injection therapy in the referred facial and cervical muscles only once.
The total nasal symptom score (TNSS) and side-effects was collected
during the following 24 weeks. Results: The patients reported that their
nasal and eye symptoms were significantly improved compared to those
previously reported. The TNSS in the 15 minutes after treatment was
significantly lower compared with the score before treatment, and the
effect was maintained for at least 24 weeks. No obvious side effects
were recorded during the treatment or the follow-up period. Conclusions:
QiPs injection therapy provided long-term clinical efficacy with few
adverse events in moderate to severe AR patients. QiPs inflammation in
the facial and cervical regions, which causes nasal mucous oversecretion
by regulating upper cervical sympathetic nerve ganglion and
sphenopalatine ganglion activity, might play a novel role in the
etiology of AR.