**Nanjing**: A systematic review reveals that acupuncture may outperform Western medicine in alleviating symptoms of Meniere disease, though methodological flaws in studies necessitate further investigation into its efficacy and safety as a treatment option.
Acupuncture has emerged as a potential therapeutic option for individuals suffering from Meniere disease, a condition that can lead to vertigo, tinnitus, ear fullness, and hearing loss. A systematic literature review published online on December 10 in Frontiers in Medicine by Mingjie Tang from the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, alongside colleagues, has found evidence suggesting that acupuncture may offer greater benefits compared to Western medicine alone.
The review evaluated six studies focusing on the efficacy of acupuncture for treating symptoms associated with Meniere disease. The findings indicated that acupuncture, whether administered independently or in conjunction with traditional Western treatment, showed a superior efficacy rate when compared to Western medicine alone, with a risk ratio of 1.20. Furthermore, the use of acupuncture was linked to significant reductions in various health assessments, such as the dizziness handicap inventory, tinnitus handicap inventory, stuffy ear visual analog scale, and pure tone audiometry score.
Specifically, reductions noted in mean differences included a decrease of 6.94 in the dizziness handicap inventory, 6.52 in the tinnitus handicap inventory, 0.87 in the stuffy ear visual analog scale, and 6.57 in pure tone audiometry scores. While these results are promising, the authors of the study pointed out several methodological shortcomings within the reviewed studies, including a lack of randomization, blinding, and variability in clinical interventions (such as the choice of acupoints and techniques employed by therapists).
In light of these methodological weaknesses, the authors stress the necessity for more rigorously designed, long-term follow-up randomised controlled trials to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture as a treatment for Meniere disease.
This analysis sheds light on the intersection of alternative therapies and traditional medical approaches, inviting further exploration into the benefits of acupuncture for patients suffering from Meniere disease and related auditory conditions.
Source: Noah Wire Services
