Clinical observations and seven-and-one-half-year follow-up of patients using an integrative holistic approach for treating chronic sinusitis.

Context: Despite the widespread popularity of alternative medical approaches to respiratory and allergic disorders, there is a lack of scientific substantiation of their benefits.

Objective: Assessment of the therapeutic benefit of an integrative holistic approach to the treatment of chronic sinusitis.

Design: Patients began a 5-month program consisting of 5 evening sessions of 2 hours each in October of 1999.

Setting: The program was held in the offices of one of the authors (WSS).

Patients: Ten patients of an allergist-immunologist specialist (WSS), symptomatic despite aggressive conventional treatment for their chronic sinusitis, were recruited to participate in an integrative holistic medical education and treatment program consisting of 5 sessions and evaluated at a 1-year follow-up. Sessions consisted of education in lifestyle and indoor-air modification, nasal hygiene, and treatment with fluconazole. Eight of 9 subjects were located and provided feedback 7 years and 6 months later, in June 2007.

Main Outcome Measures: Health-related quality of life (QOL) was assessed using the short-form QOL survey (SF-12) and rhinitis QOL by the Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ).

Results: No significant differences emerged in the SF-12 or mini-RQLQ scores comparing visit 2 with visit 1. Statistically significant improvement for physical and mental subscales of the SF-12 emerged comparing the results of visit 4 with visit 2 after the addition offluconazole treatment to the regimen, persisting through an additional year of follow-up. Feedback at 7.5 years confirmed marked long-term improvement in chronic sinusitis symptoms compared to their pre-study condition.