Anyone of a certain age will remember how, when they were little, dozens of children around them, or perhaps they themselves, underwent the famous sore throat operation. A few decades ago it was the best option to treat recurrent tonsillitis. Fortunately, improvements in the administration of certain drugs have made it possible to put aside that intervention that not only lacked proven efficacy. It could also lead to some considerable inconvenience. However, today there is no shortage of charlatans who offer much more extravagant and supposedly effective forms of treatment. In the case of the tonsils, we find pseudotherapists offering something known as angina strangulation.
But the worst thing is that these people are not professionals in the area of Otorhinolaryngologyotherwise so-called physical therapists. Needless to say, these types of tools are not common among the procedures that these professionals usually carry out. But, unfortunately, it is a profession in which pseudosciences have fully entered, through techniques such as osteopathy or acupuncture.
It is precisely some osteopaths who they assure to be able to perform the strangulation of tonsils. This consists of two parts. start with a lymphatic drainage and continue with a biomagnetic pair therapy supposedly to restore the body’s pH. There are even those who add a third step based on auriculotherapy, which is nothing more than acupuncture applied to the ear. It’s all nonsense, but we don’t have to know it, so many people desperate for tonsillitis pain opt to try it for the benefit. But, unfortunately, there will only be one benefit and it will be for the pocket of the pseudotherapist.
Why are the tonsils no longer operated on?
Angina or tonsillitis is known as the inflammation of one or two palatine tonsils. These are accumulations of tissue that are located at the bottom of the mouth, on both sides of the pharynx, and contain cells that produce antibodies in case of infection.
This inflammation usually occurs especially with fever and a lot of pain and is usually associated with viral or bacterial infections, although the former are more common. It can occur in both adults and children, although it is in the latter that those recurrent infections that previously led to surgical intervention occur more often.
Today it is known that recurrence in some cases is due to a specific genus of bacteria, streptococcus, can fool immune system cellsso that instead of fighting the infection destroy each other. But this is not the most common, in some cases it is due to a tonsillar hypertrophy. Or, what is the same, an excessive enlargement of the tonsils.
It was in those cases that years ago, surgical intervention was directly resorted to. Today, instead, that is left only for extreme cases, since if the tonsils are removed, a first protection barrier is eliminated and infections in the lower respiratory tract are enhanced. Current drugs are much more effective. If the inflammation is due to a bacterial infection, antibiotics and, if necessary to anti-inflammatory and antipyretic. If it is not bacterial, only the latter are prescribed. Be that as it may, surgery is left as a last option. Now, is there any benefit to strangulation of tonsils? The short answer we already know is no.
Angina strangulation, the ‘treatment’ that concentrates several pseudotherapies
As we have already seen, the strangulation of tonsils consists mainly of the use of lymphatic drainage and biomagnetic pair therapy.
Drainage is a common technique to treat some sore throats that are complicated by appearance of abscesses. However, it should be done by a medical professional, preferably a otorhinolaryngologist. Never an osteopath or physical therapist. The latter can perform draining massages. However, these have nothing to do with the tonsils, but rather with a form of relieve cellulite, swelling of the extremities due to circulation problems or other similar problems. It is also used in aesthetics and sports medicine with some injuries. But never to treat something like what is intended to be treated with the strangulation of tonsils.
As for the biomagnetic pair, it is a pseudotherapy devised in 1988 by the Mexican physiotherapist and doctor isaac goiz. He had the mistaken idea that most diseases are due to an imbalance in the pH of our body. Furthermore, he believed that it could be returned to normal through the placement of high power magnets at specific points of the organism, which he called pairs.
This technique was not widely accepted in medical circles, mainly because no scientific evidence found to hold her. To begin with, the pH of our body, different depending on what fluids we are talking about, is not the cause of any disease. Perhaps some pathogens can vary it slightly in some fluids. But It is the consequence, not the cause.. Furthermore, the pH cannot be varied by magnetism. And luckily, because if it was really done it could be dangerous.
For all this, biomagnetism is considered as pseudotherapy in the check list, published in Spain by the ministries of science and health. Now, despite this lack of scientific evidence, there are still people who apply it. Many osteopaths offer it in their portfolio of techniques for all sorts of purposes. And one of them is precisely the strangulation of tonsils. Fortunately, it’s rare, but it’s still offered at some centers.
Auriculotherapy enters the scene
There are even people who offer strangulation of angina at home. Since instrumentation is sometimes difficult to achieve to perform the biomagnetic pair, in these cases it can be replaced by other techniques that are easier to do door to door. It is the case of the auriculotherapy.
In the same way that Goiz considered that diseases are due to imbalances in the pH, traditional Chinese medicine, in which acupuncture was conceived, contemplates the origin of most pathologies in Qi imbalances. That is, imbalances in a vital energy that flows through specific points of the body known as meridians. Note that, if the meridians are exchanged for pairs, the two pseudotherapies are not too far from each other. But in this case no magnets are used, but needles. And several of those meridians meet in the ear, hence acupuncture has auriculotherapy among its variants. But it also has no proven efficacy and is considered a pseudotherapy.
Therefore, if you have angina problems, only a doctor can fix them. Depending on the level of recurrence and severity, it will assess what your options are. But none will strangle them. If someone offers to do it, run away.