Hayfeversufferersmightfindsomeextrareliefbyaddingacupuncturetotheirtreatmentplan,theresultsofanewclinicaltrialsuggest.
Inastudyofmorethan5,000adultswithnasalallergies,Germanresearchersfoundthatthosewhohadacupunctureaddedtotheirtherapyshowedgreaterimprovementsintheirsymptomsoverthreemonths.
Overall,acupuncturepatientsreportedbiggergainsintheirqualityoflife-reportingthatsymptomssuchasitchyeyes,arunnynoseandpoorsleepweretakinglessofatollontheirdailylives.
Dr.BennoBrinkhaus,oftheChariteUniversityMedicalCenterinBerlin,ledthestudy,whichispublishedintheAnnalsofAllergy,AsthmaandImmunology.
Inmanycountries,acupuncturehasbecomeapopularalternativetherapyforallergicrhinitis,morecommonlyknownashayfever.Butthefewstudiesthathavebeenconductedonthetreatmenthaveproducedconflictingresults,accordingtoBrinkhausandhiscolleagues.
Toinvestigate,theresearchersfollowed5,237adultssufferingfromseasonaloryear-longallergicrhinitis.Ofthesepatients,487wererandomlyassignedtoundergoupto15acupuncturesessions,deliveredbyaphysicianoverthreemonths;another494wererandomlyassignedtoa"control"groupinwhichpatientsstayedwiththeirstandardtreatmentalone.
Therestofthestudygroup--4,256patientsinall-didnotwanttoberandomlyassignedandinsteadchosetohaveacupuncture.
Allpatientsweresurveyedabouttheirqualityoflifeatthestudy'sstart,attheendofthethree-monthtreatmentperiod,andagainthreemonthslater.
Aftertreatmentwascompleted,Brinkhausandhiscolleaguesfoundthatacupuncturepatientsreportedgreatergainsinqualityoflifecomparedwiththecontrolgroup.Thedifferencewasstillpresent,althoughwaning,threemonthslater.
Acupuncturehasbeenusedformorethan2,000yearsinChinesemedicinetotreatawidevarietyofailments.Accordingtotraditionalmedicine,specificacupuncturepointsontheskinareconnectedtointernalpathwaysthatconductenergy,orqi（pronounced"chee"）,andstimulatingthesepointswithafineneedlepromotesthehealthyflowofqi.
Thereissomeresearchevidencethatacupuncturemightinfluenceimmunesystemactivity,whichintheorycouldhelpexplainitsbenefitsforhayfeversufferers.
Whateverthemechanism,Brinkhausandhiscolleaguessaythatthisstudyandpastresearchsuggestthathayfeversuffererswhoareinterestedinacupunctureshouldgiveitatry.
"Acupuncturecanbeconsideredaneffectiveandsafetreatmentoptionforpatientswithallergicrhinitis,"theyconclude.
SOURCE:AnnalsofAllergy,AsthmaandImmunology,November2008.
