OBJECTIVETo compare therapeutic effects of acupuncture and auricular point pressing therapy on allergic rhinitis.

METHODSOne hundred and fifty cases were randomly divided into an acupuncture group, an auricular point pressing group and a medication control group, 50 cases in each group. The acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture for 6 consecutive days, once each day, with an interval of one day; and the auricular point pressing group were alternatively treated twice each week; the medication group were treated with oral administration of western medicine saitezan, once daily, 10 mg once. They were treated for 4 weeks, and the short-term and long-term therapeutic effects, and effects on serum immunological indexes were compared among the three groups.

RESULTSThe acupuncture group and the auricular point pressing group in the short-term therapeutic effect and improvement of cumulative scores of symptoms and signs, and the long-term total therapeutic effect and the improvement of cumulative scores of symptoms and signs were better than the medication group (P<0.01, P<0.05), with no significant differences between the acupuncture group and the auricular point pressing group. Serum IgE, IL-4 contents decreased and IFN-gamma level did not significantly change in the three groups.

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture and auricular pressing therapy in improvement of symptoms and signs are better than the medication, and the therapeutic effect is carried out by inhibiting the differentiation from Th cells to Th2 cells, adjusting the imbalance of Th1/Th2 cells and decrease the synthesis of IgE to inhibit allergic rhinitis.