May 9, 2005 – Acupuncture and Chinese herbs used in conjunction with conventional medicines may significantly reduce symptoms of hay fever, according to clinical trial in Germany1.
Fifty-two people aged 20 to 58 with mild to moderate symptoms of hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis) participated in this study. Randomly, the researchers formed two groups of 26 subjects. For six weeks, one group received acupuncture treatments at the rate of one session per week and consumed Chinese herbal decoctions daily, while the other group received a placebo treatment. Chinese medicine treatment was semi-standardized: it consisted of a basic treatment common to all, to which were added a few variations depending on the individual, following a diagnosis made in Chinese medicine. The placebo consisted of acupuncture sessions where the needles were pricked at the wrong points, and herbal decoctions with no therapeutic effect.
At the end of the study, 85% of the subjects in the group treated with Chinese medicine noticed an improvement in their symptoms, compared to 40% in the placebo group. Chinese medicine has, moreover, improved the quality of life of the participants more than the placebo. During the study, subjects could continue to take their usual hay fever medication. The use of these drugs decreased slightly in the Chinese medicine group, but not statistically significantly.
The researchers suspect that the therapeutic effect of acupuncture and pharmacopoeia would have been even greater if the study had lasted longer, and if Chinese medicine treatments had been fully individualized, as is the case in one. usual practice.
Hay fever is usually manifested by sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy eyes. Symptoms appear during the flowering period of plants (ragweed, hay, birch, etc.) which begins in spring and ends in fall.
Marie-Michèle Mantha – PasseportSanté.net
According to Acupuncture Today
1. Brinkhaus B, Hummelsberger J, Kohnen R et al. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: a randomized-controlled clinical trial. Allergy. 2004 Sep; 59 (9): 953-60.
