Acupuncture for rhinitis

Acupuncture in Medicine, Oct, 2007

Xue CC, An X, Cheung TP, Da Costa C, Lenon GB, et al. Acupuncture for persistent allergic rhinitis: a randomised, sham-controlled trial. Med J Aust 2007;187(6):337-41.

A randomised controlled trial from Melbourne in Australia included 80 patients who had persistent allergic rhinitis, and gave them twice weekly treatment with real or sham acupuncture for eight weeks. Nasal obstruction, sneezing, rhinorrhoea and nasal itch were each assessed by patients daily on a five-point scale, and combined into a 'total nasal symptom score'. At the end of treatment there was a significant difference in favour of real acupuncture (P=0.01), and at follow up 12 weeks later this difference was even larger.