Acupuncture for Springtime Allergies

Spring has come early to the Finger Lakes region and we’re seeing more patients than usual experiencing the classic symptoms of allergic rhinitis (seasonal allergies).

What are the common symptoms of seasonal allergies?

• –  Watery, itchy eyes
• –  Sneezing
• –  Runny nose 
• –  Post-nasal drip
• –  Nasal congestion
• –  Sinus headaches

Treating Seasonal Allergies Naturally

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms when you go outside, we recommend trying acupuncture!

Multiple studies have shown that acupuncture is effective in reducing the symptoms of seasonal allergies in adults.

In a 2022 meta-analysis study published in the European Journal of Medical Research, researchers found that acupuncture reduced the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and improved quality of life.

View the study here: He, M., Qin, W., Qin, Z. et al. Acupuncture for allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Med Res 27, 58 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-022-00682-3

A meta-analysis is a large-scale study that reviews ALL the available studies previously completed on a specific topic.

In this particular meta-analysis, the authors combined the data from thirty different clinical trials about acupuncture and allergic rhinitis. This included a combined total of 4,413 study participants!

The idea behind a meta-analysis is that you’re not just looking at the data from a single study. You’re looking at a very large volume of data and running statistical analyses on ALL the finding to see the results.

Outcomes from the study:

The authors found that, “Results showed that for adults with moderate-to-severe AR [allergic rhinitis], acupuncture is better than no intervention in reducing the severity of nasal symptoms and improving the patients’ quality of life.

Both acupuncture and western medication improve clinical response of AR.”

The last statement means they compared acupuncture to over-the-counter medications commonly used for allergies, and both had a similar effect in reducing symptoms.

They also found that,

“Acupuncture, in addition to western medication, may achieve better outcomes (such as higher clinical response rate and better quality of life) than Western medication alone.”

And they discovered that acupuncture seems to lower the IgE levels in serum when compared to cetirizine (the generic name for Zyrtec).

To summarize, researchers found that:

• –  Acupuncture is more effective than no treatment for seasonal allergies
• –  Acupuncture is equally as effective as common OTC medications for seasonal allergies
• –  Acupuncture combined with OTC medications may be more effective than either alone, and
• –  Acupuncture may reduce Immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody produced by the immune system that is involved in allergic response

If you’re struggling to manage your seasonal allergies and/or don’t tolerate over-the-counter medications well, give acupuncture a try!

How many acupuncture treatments are needed for seasonal allergies?

The typical treatment protocol is one treatment per week for 8 weeks. Then we try to space treatments out to see if you can go two, three or four weeks while feeling great.

Many allergic rhinitis patients get monthly maintenance treatments during warm months to prevent symptoms from worsening as the seasons (and the different types of outdoor allergens/pollens) change.

Ready to try acupuncture to manage your itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, and congestion?

We’d love to help!

Click below to schedule online or call our friendly office staff at (607) 216-8112.