Acupuncture Found to be Beneficial in the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis
In a randomized controlled trial involving 981 subjects, treatment with acupuncture (15 sessions over the course of 3 months) in addition to random care was found to significantly improve "rhinitis quality of life" and "general health quality of life," as compared to subjects who received routine care alone. The study also involved 4,256 subjects who did not consent to randomization, who all received acupuncture treatment. Overall, subjects who received acupuncture showed a 1.48 improvement in score on the Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, as compared to 0.50 in the control group, and significant improvements in "general health-related quality of life" scores as well. The improvements seen at 3 months immediately following the period of acupuncture treatments remained, but were not as great at 6 months. The authors conclude, "The results of this trial suggest that treating patients with allergic rhinitis in routine care with additional acupuncture leads to clinically relevant and persistent benefits." |
"Acupuncture in patients with allergic rhinitis: a pragmatic randomized trial," Brinkhaus B, Witt CM, et al, Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol, 2008 Nov; 101(5): 535-43. (Address: Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ).