Acupuncture targeting Qianlianquan and eight confluent points improved chronic pharyngitis symptoms and inflammatory markers more than herbal granules.
Patients with chronic pharyngitis were randomly assigned to receive either daily acupuncture at Qianlianquan and eight traditional confluent points or oral Qinghou Liyan herbal granules. Treatment was delivered in repeated courses, and symptom severity, throat signs, and blood levels of interleukin-2 and tumor necrosis factor alpha were assessed before and after treatment.
Both treatments improved throat symptoms, clinical signs, and inflammatory blood markers. However, the acupuncture group showed greater overall improvement than the group receiving herbal granules, suggesting that this acupuncture approach may more effectively reduce symptoms and inflammation in chronic pharyngitis.
