A large German randomised controlled trial has examined the effectiveness of acupuncture plus routine care, compared to routine care alone, for patients with allergic rhinitis. Over 5200 patients, mean age 40 years, were randomly allocated to receive either 15 acupuncture treatments over three months, or to receive no acupuncture. All were allowed to receive standard medical care. Treatment effectiveness was assessed at the start of the trial, and again at three and six months. Using the criteria of rhinitis symptoms and general quality of life, the researchers conclude that acupuncture for allergic rhinitis in addition to routine care, gives clinically relevant and persistent benefits.
(Acupuncture in patients with allergic rhinitis: a pragmatic randomized trial. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, November 2008.)
Author: Robin Costello
I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training.
I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.
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