Acupuncture for Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2011-04-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Acupuncture is widely use by patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR), although there is only limited evidence of its effectiveness. The aim of this three armed randomised controlled multicentre trial is to investigate the efficacy of acupuncture plus rescue medication vs. minimal (sham) acupuncture plus rescue medication vs. (b) rescue medication alone in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Charite University, Berlin, Germany
• Collaborator: German Research Foundation
• Treatments: Cetirizine; Histamine Antagonists; Histamine H1 Antagonists

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female or male patients (aged 16-45 years) with seasonal allergic rhinitis, clinically positive and test positive (skin-prick test and/or RAST) to grass and birch pollen

• Patients with >2 years of moderate to severe SAR

• Positive skin-prick test and/or RAST (at least class 2) results

• Visual analogue scale >40mm and <80 mm for SAR symptoms during the past year

• Patients must be able to complete a diary for self-evaluation of symptoms and recording use of anti-symptomatic medication

• Use of, or indication for, oral antihistamines as anti-allergic medication

• Written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Perennial SAR or other types of chronic rhinitis

• Allergic asthma and/or moderate to severe atopic dermatitis

• Active tuberculosis

• Autoimmune disorders

• Severe chronic inflammatory diseases

• History of anaphylactic reactions

• Hypersensitivity to Rescue medication or related drugs used in study related drugs

• Specific immunotherapy >3 years

• Simultaneous participation in other clinical trials

• Serious acute or chronic organic disease or mental disorder

• Pregnancy or breast feeding

• Allergy desensitisation therapy (current, during the past two years, or planned in the next two years)

• Blood coagulation disorder and/or current use of anticoagulants

• Previous acupuncture treatment for SAR

• Any Complementary and alternative medicine treatment at the moment, in the last three months or planned in the next two years