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Sphenopalatine Ganglion Acupuncture

This is a unique and completely new technique developed by professor Li Xinwu, the former head of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of the Beijing Tongren Hospital in the early 70th year of the last century.

What is the sphenopalatine ganglion?

The sphenopalatine ganglion is a group of nerve cells that supply the inner lining of the nose and tear gland. It is located just behind the zygomatic bone of the head in a region called the pterygopalatine fossa. It associates with the trigeminal nerve and has a connection with the brainstem.

Because of its location and connections to the trigeminal nerve, the sphenopalatine ganglion is closely related to the origin of migraines, cluster headaches and trigeminal neuralgia. In the case of migraines, for example, inflammation of the blood vessels triggers painful signals that spread along the trigeminal nerve through the ganglion.

Since the fact that the parasympathetic root of the ganglion regulates the mucosal membrane of the nose, it also plays an important role in symptoms of seasonal allergies such as nasal congestion and tearing of eyes.

What is the Sphenopalatine Ganglion Acupuncture?

Sphenopalatine Ganglion Acupuncture is a unique and completely new technique developed by professor Li Xinwu, the former head of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of the Beijing Tongren Hospital in the early 70th year of the last century. Approximately 130,000 patients had been treated with this technique, which requires special training from the practitioner. The patient remains in a sitting position while a special acupuncture needle is inserted at the point below the zygomatic arch to reach the SP ganglion. The patient experiences a light electrical sensation spreading toward the check or nose. The procedure takes less than a minute and is performed once per week for a total of 8-10 treatments.  This technique appears to be safe with minimal side effect such as local minor soreness or occasional bruising that disappears after a few days.

Clinical application of Spenopalatine Ganglion Acupuncture

  1. Allergic Rhinitis

Originally this method was developed to treat seasonal allergies and symptoms of chronic rhinitis.  In a recent study that includes 1004 patients, SPG acupuncture appears to be effective in relieving symptoms of allergic rhinitis–like nasal congestion and sneezing–and could improve the patient’s quality of life.

  1. Migraine, Trigeminal Neuralgia and Cluster Headache

Because of the Sphenopalatine Ganglion associated with trigeminal nerve, SPG acupuncture  also can benefit people suffering from migraines, trigeminal neuralgia and cluster headaches.  A recent small study from Peking University Third Hospital, confirms that Sphenopalatine ganglion needling is safe and effective for patients suffering from primary trigeminal neuralgia.

Sunrise Neuro-Acupuncture Integrative Clinic provides Sphenopalatine Ganglion Acupuncture. If you would like to receive more information about this treatment, you can call us at: 613-853-9099

References

  1. Pterygopalatine ganglion. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterygopalatine_ganglion
  2. Sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation with acupuncture for perennial allergic rhinitis: A non-randomized traditional Chinese acupuncture (verum acupuncture) controlled pilot trial. (2015). International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 37(5), 396-400
  3. Wang K, Chen L, Wang Y, Wang C, Zhang L. Sphenopalatine Ganglion Acupuncture Improves Nasal Ventilation and Modulates Autonomic Nervous Activity in Healthy Volunteers: A Randomized Controlled Study. Sci Rep. 2016;6:29947. Published 2016 Jul 18. doi:10.1038/srep29947
  4. Fu Q, Zhang L, Liu Y, et al. Effectiveness of Acupuncturing at the Sphenopalatine Ganglion Acupoint Alone for Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:6478102. Published 2019 Mar 12. doi:10.1155/2019/6478102
  5. He, L. & Zhang, X. Clinical effect of sphenopalatine ganglion needling in treating primary trigeminal neuralgia of liver-yang upsurge syndrome type. Chin. J. Integr. Med. (2012) 18: 214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-012-1021-2
  6. Piagkou, M. , Demesticha, T. , Troupis, T. , Vlasis, K. , Skandalakis, P. , Makri, A. , Mazarakis, A. , Lappas, D. , Piagkos, G. and Johnson, E. O. (2012), The Pterygopalatine Ganglion and its Role in Various Pain Syndromes: From Anatomy to Clinical Practice. Pain Practice, 12: 399-412. doi:10.1111/j.1533-2500.2011.00507.
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