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Assessing the Efficacy of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Olfactory Dysfunction: A Systematic Review.

The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology
February 1, 2025
Iman S Iqbal et al. (4 authors)
Journal ArticleSystematic ReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to systematically review existing literature on acupuncture's efficacy in treating olfactory dysfunction to understand its methodology and therapeutic potential.

Results Summary

The review found 10 studies showing positive improvement in olfactory dysfunction after acupuncture, particularly in post-viral anosmia, but noted variability in protocols and lack of standardized outcome measures.

Population

Patients with olfactory dysfunction, especially post-viral anosmia.

Effective Dosage

Not specified (variability in point selection, session frequency, and treatment duration noted).

Duration

Not specified (variability in treatment duration noted).

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (3)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
acupuncture
increase
olfactory dysfunction
-
-
positive improvement
#1
acupuncture
increase
olfactory function
patients with various types of olfactory disorders
-
therapeutic effect on improvement
#2
acupuncture
increase
post-viral anosmia
-
-
most notably seen
#3
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This article seeks to systematically review existing literature on the use of acupuncture in treating olfactory dysfunction in order to better understand the methodology and efficacy of this alternative treatment modality. METHODS: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was conducted. The review was conducted by 2 independent reviewers that authored this article. Inclusion criteria included all studies analyzing the efficacy of acupuncture for treatment of olfactory dysfunction. Articles were excluded if they were duplicates, opinion or review papers, incomplete or unavailable papers, or if they were in a language other than English. RESULTS: The review found 10 articles matching the inclusion criteria that overall showed a positive improvement in olfactory dysfunction after acupuncture intervention in multiple settings. Challenges highlighted in this review include variability in acupuncture protocols, such as differences in point selection, session frequency, and overall treatment duration, as well as the lack of standardized outcome measures for assessing olfactory function. CONCLUSION: This systematic review suggests acupuncture may have therapeutic effect on improvement of olfactory function across various types of olfactory disorders, most notably seen in post-viral anosmia. Given the variability in acupuncture protocols and lack of standardized outcome measures, there is a need for further research with standardized methods and larger sample sizes. Olfactory dysfunction is fundamentally a quality-of-life issue; advancing research could solidify acupuncture as a valuable and cost-effective addition to treatment plans, optimizing patient well-being.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansAcupuncture TherapyOlfaction DisordersTreatment Outcome
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality70/10
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score2.40
Normalized Score0.64
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