Acupuncture for Hay Fever
Lishui Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers conducted a randomised controlled clinical trial. Their findings document that acupuncture as a standalone therapy, achieved a 66.7% total effective rate.
Another groundbreaking study was published in the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy. The study demonstrated important subjective and objective improvements for patients with allergic rhinitis.
On the subjective side, acupuncture significantly improved quality of life scores. Nasal related symptoms improved significantly. The researchers note, “Acupuncture group produced significantly greater diminution of nasal symptoms than did [the] control group.” The quality of life score measured improvements in sleep, eye related symptoms, emotional well-being, nasal symptoms, and activities of daily living.
Perhaps acupuncture’s ability to provide long-term relief is most significant. Liu et al. find that acupuncture provides an 86.7% long-term effective rate whereas the anti-histamine loratadine provides a 56.7% long-term effective rate.
References:
Yang LZ & Yu BL. (2013), New development of Allergic Rhinitis (AR) medical treatment (J). Medical and Clinical Research 21 (5): 543 – 546
Li YL. (2013). Clinical analysis of “Wenrunxingjin, Peibenxuantong” (温润辛金、培本宣通) treatment method on Allergic Rhinitis. Zhonghua Traditional Chinese Medicine Magazine 28(5): 1604 – 1607.
Feng, Shaoyan, Miaomiao Han, Yunping Fan, Guangwei Yang, Zhenpeng Liao, Wei Liao, and Huabin Li. "Acupuncture for the treatment of allergic rhinitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis." American journal of rhinology & allergy 29, no. 1 (2015): 57-62.
Liu, T. S., R. Qiu, and X. S. Lai. "[Efficacy on perennial allergic rhinitis treated with acupuncture at three nasal poinits and the acupoints selected by syndrome differentiation]." Zhongguo zhen jiu= Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion 34, no. 11 (2014): 1083-1086.
Source - Healthcare Medicine Institute
