Zhang Claire S, Xia Jiyan, Zhang Anthony L, Yang Angela W, Thien Francis, Li Yunying, Wu Darong, Cai Jianxiong, DaCosta Cliff, Xue Charlie C
Traditional & Complementary Medicine Research Program, Health Innovations Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Victoria, Australia.
Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2014 Jul-Aug;28(4):e152-7. doi: 10.2500/ajra.2014.28.4081.
Perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) has a high and increasing prevalence worldwide. Ear acupressure (EAP) is a noninvasive semi-self-administered form of acupuncture. Previous studies indicated that EAP could be effective and safe for AR symptom management. However, there was insufficient evidence to confirm this. This study investigated whether EAP, a noninvasive clinical alternative to acupuncture, is effective and safe for PAR.
This is an international, multicenter, randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled trial. The trial was conducted at two centers: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (Melbourne, Australia) Clinical Trial Clinic and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China. PAR participants were randomized to receive real or sham EAP treatment once a week for 8 weeks and then were followed-up for 12 weeks. Participants were instructed to administer EAP stimulation three times daily. Symptom severity and quality of life (QoL) were evaluated. Adverse events (AEs) were also monitored. Intention-to-treat analysis on change of symptom scores and QoL was applied.
Two hundred forty-five participants were randomly assigned to real (n = 124) and sham EAP (n = 121) groups. Twenty-five participants discontinued during treatment and 15 participants dropped out during follow-up. At the end of treatment and follow-up periods, changes of global QoL score were significantly greater in the real EAP group compared with the sham group. At the end of follow-up, scores for total nasal symptom, runny nose, and eye symptoms in the real EAP group had a greater reduction compared with the sham group. Overall, both real and sham EAP were well tolerated. Two severe AEs were reported but were not considered related to the EAP procedures.
In conclusion, EAP showed short-term and extended benefit for improving PAR symptoms and QoL for PAR patients.
常年性变应性鼻炎（PAR）在全球范围内的患病率很高且呈上升趋势。耳穴按压（EAP）是一种非侵入性的半自我实施的针灸形式。先前的研究表明，EAP对AR症状管理可能有效且安全。然而，尚无足够证据证实这一点。本研究调查了作为针灸非侵入性临床替代方法的EAP对PAR是否有效和安全。
这是一项国际、多中心、随机、单盲、假对照试验。该试验在两个中心进行：皇家墨尔本理工大学（澳大利亚墨尔本）临床试验诊所和中国广州广东省中医院。PAR参与者被随机分配接受真或假EAP治疗，每周一次，共8周，然后随访12周。参与者被指导每天进行三次EAP刺激。评估症状严重程度和生活质量（QoL）。还监测不良事件（AE）。对症状评分和QoL的变化进行意向性分析。
245名参与者被随机分配到真（n = 124）和假EAP（n = 121）组。25名参与者在治疗期间退出，15名参与者在随访期间退出。在治疗期和随访期结束时，真EAP组的总体QoL评分变化显著大于假EAP组。在随访结束时，真EAP组的总鼻部症状、流涕和眼部症状评分与假EAP组相比下降幅度更大。总体而言，真EAP和假EAP的耐受性都很好。报告了两例严重AE，但认为与EAP程序无关。
总之，EAP对改善PAR患者的PAR症状和QoL显示出短期和长期益处。
