Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis: a systematic review of randomized and non-randomized trials

Abstract

Objectives This article provides a comprehensive systematic review and qualitative analysis of the current research investigating Ayurveda chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) treatment. Content PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews was followed and our search utilized MEDLINE, Embase, Ayush Portal, and Cochrane Library databases. Articles published prior to March 2022, 10 or more patients that investigated Ayurveda as a treatment for CRS in humans were included. This resulted in thirteen articles meeting inclusion criteria. Ayurvedic treatments included herbal medications for oral consumption, nasal instillation, and steam inhalation used alone or in combination. All studies concluded that Ayurvedic therapy led to improvements in subjective CRS symptoms and objective radiographic and hematologic criteria. However, all 13 studies had a significant risk of bias due to study design and statistical methods utilized. Summary Ayurvedic therapy may be a useful CRS treatment for some patients and overall appears to be well tolerated. However, definitive recommendation for when Ayurvedic treatments would be beneficial in the treatment of CRS remains not possible. Outlook Given the overall positive effects shown in the current published evidence and growing interest in complementary and integrative therapies, Ayurvedic treatments for CRS deserve further investigation in the form of well-designed controlled trials.