Allergies Relieved by Acupuncture in Study
It’s summer and that means it’s time for fun… and allergies! There is good news though! Allergy sufferers who received 12 acupuncture sessions had fewer symptoms and required less antihistamine medication compared to a control group, as reported in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Seasonal allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hayfever, is usually a result of allergies to plant pollen. Stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing are the familiar foes of spring and summer. For some people, antihistamines offer relief. For others, the side effects of antihistamines (dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness) make them unappealing. For others, they simply don’t work. Increasingly, people are turning to acupuncture for relief of allergy symptoms.
Led by Dr. Benno Brinkhaus, researchers from Charite-University Medical Center, in Berlin, Germany, randomly selected 422 volunteers. All hay fever sufferers, they were divided into three groups.
Twelve treatments were administered over eight weeks in the first year. Patients in all three groups were allowed to take antihistamine medication whenever their allergies worsened.
The results showed that those in the acupuncture group reported better improvements in their symptoms over the eight-week period of treatment, as well as needing fewer antihistamine drugs, in comparison to the other groups.
Eight weeks of ending their treatment, the benefits of the acupuncture faded. However, Dr. Brinkhaus, a medical doctor and acupuncturist, said that does not necessarily mean that the benefits of acupuncture have been eliminated.
Our experience at Naperville Acupuncture Center is that people do benefit from receiving acupuncture for allergies. On average, we treat people once or twice per week during the peak allergy season. Some people also receive and herbal formula. The symptoms and frequency of allergies are diminished, and the need to take medication is reduced. However, allergies are not permanently eliminated. Call today to find out how we can help you!