Physiotherapy for chronic rhinosinusitis: The use of continuous ultrasound

Abstract

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is the most common chronic disease in the field of ear, nose and throat and is often very difficult to treat. The aim of this pilot study was to determine the effects of continuous ultrasound (US) on CRS. In a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study, 20 patients were treated with either continuous US (n = 10) or mock-US (n = 10), 3 days a week for 10 treatment sessions. All patients improved after treatment with US. Excellent and good improvements were observed in nine patients. Between-group comparisons of �percent improvement� showed a significantly higher improvement in the US group than in the control group. The total scores of rhinosinusitis symptoms were significantly improved after treatment in both the groups. At one-month follow-up, eight patients in the US group reported no recurrence of the disease and the CRS had recurred in all patients of the control group. This trial demonstrates that continuous US may be an effective tool in the treatment of patients with CRS, although further study is needed. © MA Healthcare Limited 2014