Acupuncture brief but effective for allergic rhinitis

An 8-week course of acupuncture had statistically significant but short-lived benefits for people with seasonal allergic rhinitis. 8 weeks after the treatment ended, the effects were no longer noticeable, as reported in the Feb. 19 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. 

The researchers looked at acupuncture combined with rescue medication as needed, sham acupuncture with as-needed medication, and rescue medication alone. The rescue medication used in the study was cetirizine (Zyrtec, Reactine) but patients were permitted to use an oral corticosteroid if the rescue drug was inadequate. 

Acupuncture patients had an average quality of life score that was 0.5 points better than those in the sham group and 0.7 points better than those in the medication-only group.  They also had rescue medication scores that were 1.1 points better than those in the sham group and 1.5 points better than those in the rescue medication group.
 
Steve: By receiving acupuncture, patients could reduce that amount of antihistamine, plus increase the quality of life. The study did not look at maintenance treatments, which would be an obvious recommendation for someone using acupuncture for rhinitis.