In my experience, there’s almost no such thing as “chronic” sinusitis — only doctors who don’t know how to treat sinus conditions, so their patients never get any lasting relief.

Next thing you know, the patient is battling the condition for months or even years at a time — and the sinusitis is labeled “chronic,” as experienced by some 30 million Americans in 2010 alone.

Now, a new study shows that mainstream docs can bring at least a little more relief to their patients if they’re willing to send them out for some acupuncture and acupressure.

Researchers say the 11 long-term sinus patients in the study who got both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments — along with some nutritional counseling based on the principles of TCM– had less nose-blowing, sniffling, and sneezing.

They also had less of that awful facial pain and pressure that goes hand-in-hand with sinus problems, and enjoyed better concentration, fewer cases of restlessness, and less frustration.

Put it all together, and you can see why they also reported overall improvements in quality of life, according to the study in the Archives of Otolaryngology.

But on the other hand, no one was cured, either — so while I think acupuncture and acupressure are great, and I have an acupuncturist at my clinic, neither one would make my shortlist for treating sinusitis.

Not when there are ways to actually cure the condition instead.

One reason mainstream docs never get this one right is because they’re too focused on treating the symptoms rather than the cause. They’ll prescribe nasal corticosteroid sprays and antihistamines and send the patient on his way.

But while those drugs might bring some quick short-term relief from the symptoms, they do nothing to correct the actual cause (they also come with side effects, especially with long-term use).

In many cases, chronic sinusitis is caused by environmental allergens and irritants — including toxins in the home, tobacco smoke, and mold spores. Other common causes include food allergies and even a fungal infection in the sinus cavity (that last one’s a lot more common than you’d think).

There’s no antihistamine or steroid on the planet that can correct any of that, which is why patients who take them never get cured. As a matter of fact, they can increase the fungi in the sinus cavity.

They get “chronic” sinusitis instead.

Your own answer will depend on the cause — and that means you need a doctor who’s willing to take the time needed to find it. Odds are, that won’t be a mainstream doctor. Seek the care of a holistic doctor instead, especially one experienced in testing for allergies and treating fungal infections.

It’s one of the Holy Grails of the drug industry: A pill to end hot flashes.

Think that’s a big market? You bet it is! Up to 80 percent of all women battle hot flashes during menopause, making a would-be treatment a billion-dollar dream for the drug industry.

But for women, that dream is more like a nightmare as they play guinea pig. Instead of being given safe, natural, and proven treatments for their hot flashes, they’re given unproven antidepressants, risky anti-seizure drugs, and even blood pressure meds… and almost all of them are being used off-label.

It’s a massive public health experiment that’s hurt far more women that it’s ever helped.

But you don’t need to swallow those pills, or face side effects, to get some relief, because the latest research points to a pair of easy, drug-free solutions: ordinary group therapy and self-help.

Researchers recruited 140 women who reported hot flashes and night sweats at least 10 times a week and assigned them to either group therapy, self-help, or no treatment at all.

The groups met four times a month, while those who got self-help had one meeting and a phone call with a shrink, but after that relied on a book and CD.

Six weeks later, 73 percent of the women who got self-help reported meaningful improvements, compared to 65 percent of those in group therapy, and 21 percent of those who got no treatment at all.

And six months later, those improvements held.

Of course, therapy didn’t quite work for everyone. But therapy isn’t your only option here, either, because there are other proven natural ways to get safe drug-free relief from the worst symptoms of menopause.

One recent study found that aerobic exercise can slash the number of hot flashes — and a recent follow-up finds that getting sweaty four days a week can beat the other signs of “the change” as well, including night sweats, mood swings, irritability, and more.

Other safe options backed by science include acupuncture — which beat sham acupuncture in one study on hot flashes — as well as a combination of St. John’s wort and black cohosh. And, of course, many women get through menopause with the help of custom-made bio-identical hormones.

An experienced naturopathic physician can help find which option is best for you.

One minute, you’re a healthy and active senior who wouldn’t dream of popping an Advil, much less a powerful prescription painkiller. The next, you’re a certified addict who can’t get through the day without an opioid drug.

Think that can’t possibly happen to you? There are lots of hardcore pill poppers out there who once thought the same thing, including plenty of seniors.

And now, new numbers show just how easily older folks get hooked, with a full 10 percent of the seniors who get these meds after minor surgical procedures still taking them a year later.

These are relatively low-pain operations that might not require opioid drugs at all — like cataract and gall bladder procedures — but the new study shows that many docs give the drugs out anyway, automatically, and without even being asked.

And the seniors who get the meds this way — as if they come as part of a package deal with the operation — are 44 percent more likely to be among the long-term users.

Even worse, the seniors still using the drugs aren’t showing any signs of stopping or even slowing down. In fact, many of them have switched to higher doses and more powerful drugs.

That’s a sure sign of addiction, since a notorious opioid side effect is tolerance. The more you take them, the less they work — which is why long-term users are on a constant hunt for something stronger.

This should be a wake-up call for doctors everywhere — because if you think these drugs ruin young lives, you should see the toll they take on the elderly.

Opioid painkillers can put you in a mental fog and cause serious cognitive problems. They can also make you loopy and unsteady on your feet, turning a once-vibrant senior into a fall waiting to happen.

And if you’re a senior yourself, you know the reality of those falls and fractures: Any one of them can be your last, robbing you of your independence and even your life.

I asked Dr. Mark Stengler about this study, and he said it’s more proof that mainstream doctors are absolutely clueless when it comes to treating pain — because there are much better options than dangerous and addictive drugs.

Your own answers to pain will depend on the cause, but Dr. Stengler suggests trying a natural supplement such as curcumin or MSM or a drug-free treatment like cold laser or acupuncture.

A naturopathic physician can help find the treatment that’ll work best for you — and keep you off the addictive meds that can ruin or even end your life.

The last thing anyone with a sore back wants to do is move it around.

I know — I’ve been there myself, and the natural reaction is to find a spot where you can sit as stiff as a board and move as little as possible.

The other natural reaction, of course, is a fistful of painkillers.

Don’t give in to either reaction: There isn’t a bad back on the planet that’s been cured by painkillers, and a new study confirms that sitting tight can actually make the pain worse — and even boost your risk of depression, too.

Researchers randomly assigned 109 back patients to either stay active through the pain or limit their activities as much as possible — and if you’re suffering from back pain you might want to get up for this one: Those who moved had quicker recoveries, less pain and less depression than those who limited their activity.

The researchers say a person who goes into statue mode when they feel back pain could be setting themselves up for the classic downward spiral: Since they’re not moving, they feel more pain. When they feel more pain, they get depressed — and since depressed people feel pain more, it can feel even worse than it really is.

Of course, anyone who’s battled back pain — and that’s nearly everyone at some point — knows there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for treatment, but too many doctors stubbornly insist on giving everyone the same advice.

Along with a big jar of painkillers.

Now, another new study confirms that docs have it all wrong — because patients given a more customized treatment plan get better results at a lower cost.

Researchers divided back pain patients into three categories based on their risk of long-term pain and disability, and assigned them to different levels of advice and/or therapy based on that risk.

A year later, these patients all had less pain and more improvements than a group that got the standard one-size-fits-all advice.

Sounds good — but make sure your customized treatment plan isn’t a choice between one bad mainstream option and another.

Despite what you’ve heard, you can beat the pain — even extreme pain — without meds or surgery. Acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic care and more have all shown to help put back pain on the back burner.

And in many cases, time alone can heal those invisible wounds.

For more on natural back pain options, visit the Web site of the Health Sciences Institute and enter “back pain” into the “Find a Cure” box.

And don’t forget to keep moving.