Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2004; 9: 36–7
To explore the effectiveness of augmented acupuncture in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.
A total of 90 patients were recruited via a media campaign and randomised to augmented acupuncture, minimal acupuncture or a waiting group. Augmented acupuncture consisted of an injection of 0.5 ml mepivacain and insertion of two acupuncture needles into two acupuncture points at the neck and application of an electric current (12V, c. 0.8 mA) for 1 s. The acupuncture points were selected by means of measuring electrical resistance of the skin. Outcome measures included the number of days without additional medical treatment and the change in the rhinitis-related quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ).
The augmented acupuncture group (11.6 days without further medical treatment; SD 10.1) and the minimal acupuncture group (11.1 days, SD 10.9) had fewer days with further medical treatment than the waiting group (13.8 days, SD 11.0), although this proved not to be statistically significant. There was also no significant difference in the RQLQ among the three groups. No adverse effects could be observed.
Despite some shortcomings in the study we concluded that augmented acupuncture was not more effective than minimal acupuncture in this possibly selected group of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. Effects seem to be mainly non-specific and are only moderate.
