An Australian study looking at acupuncture for allergic rhinitis has found that it significantly reduces the symptoms of persistent disease. Eighty patients aged 16 to 70 years, were randomly assigned to receive either real acupuncture, or a sham procedure which they were lead to believe was acupuncture. They were treated twice weekly for eight weeks, and then followed up for a further twelve weeks. Measuring factors such as sneezing, nasal itch, nasal obstruction and use of medication, the patients receiving real acupuncture, were significantly better after eight weeks. These benefits persisted at the end of the three month follow-up period.
(Acupuncture for Persistent Allergic Rhinitis: a randomised sham-controlled trial. Medical Journal of Australia, 17 September 2007.)