The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Acupuncture for allergic rhinitis, reviewed

    Prof. Ernst reviewed its value for treating or preventing allergic rhinitis.

    First, the details.

    • Among 115 studies, 12 were worth reviewing.
    • 7 studies were of high quality.
    • All evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture on allergic rhinitis symptoms, none on its curative value.

    And, the results.
    Seasonal allergic rhinitis

    • 3 studies failed to show superiority of acupuncture for treating or preventing symptoms vs placebo acupuncture.

    Perennial allergic rhinitis

    • 1 study reported favorable effects of acupuncture on rhinitis symptoms.
    • 1 found positive results for a nasal symptoms vs placebo acupuncture.

    Acupuncture vs drugs

    • 2 studies reported favorable results with acupuncture.

    The bottom line?
    There was no evidence of benefit in seasonal allergic rhinitis. For perennial allergic rhinitis, the results suggest acupuncture is effective.

    6/13/09 13:46 JR

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