Acupuncture highly effective against allergic rhinitis hay fever

A new research published in the journal ‘Allergy’ (September 2004, vol. 59, no. 9, pp. 953-960(8)) has confirmed the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating people who suffer from hay fever.

It was an ordinary day in Berlin, but for 52 seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR) sufferers, their lives were about to change. The group, aged between 20 and 58, was about to participate in a study that could bring new hope to millions suffering from hay fever. The traditional Chinese therapies of acupuncture and herbal medicine were about to be put to the test. Would they be the answer to the seasonal sneezes?

At the Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics at the Charité University Medical Center, Dr Benno Brinkhaus and his team divided the participants into two groups. The first group received a semi-standardized treatment involving acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. The second group, the control, was given acupuncture at non-acupuncture points and a non-specific Chinese herbal formula. Each participant received acupuncture once a week and the respective herbal formula three times daily for six weeks. The severity of their hay fever symptoms was measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS) before, during, and one week after treatment.

Now, you might be thinking, “Chinese medicine? Acupuncture? Surely, that’s just a placebo!” But as the results came in, a different story began to emerge. The group that received active treatment showed a significant improvement in their VAS scores (P = 0.006) and Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (P = 0.015) compared to the control group. An impressive 85% of participants in the active treatment group reported improvement on the Global Assessment of Change Scale, while only 40% in the control group noted such an improvement (P = 0.048). Both treatments were well-tolerated.

The study’s conclusion was clear: traditional Chinese therapy, involving acupuncture and herbal medicine, may indeed be an effective and safe treatment option for those suffering from seasonal AR. In an age where many of us are quick to dismiss alternative therapies, this research offers a valuable lesson: there is wisdom to be found in the practices of the past, and we should never close ourselves off to new possibilities in the pursuit of health and happiness.

So, the next time you find yourself reaching for antihistamines, remember the tale of these 52 individuals in Berlin who dared to explore the ancient wisdom of acupuncture and herbal medicine. Perhaps the needle and the herb hold the key to your seasonal sniffles after all.