[A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Acupuncture at the Sphenopalatine Ganglion for the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture at the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) for the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods: A randomized controlled trial design was used. A total of 120 patients with AR were randomly assigned in a 1∶1 ratio to either the experimental group (acupuncture on the SPG, twice a week for 2 weeks) or the control group (oral lupatadine fumarate tablets, 10 mg daily for 2 weeks). The primary outcome measures were nasal symptom and sign scores at 1 and 2 weeks after treatment. Secondary outcome measures included the total non-nasal symptom score (TNNSS) and the rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) score. Results: Four cases were excluded from both the experimental group and the control group. Ultimately, 56 cases in each group completed the study. After two weeks of treatment, the total effective rates were 82.1% for the experimental group and 87.5% for the control group, with no statistically significant difference. At each time point after treatment, the symptom scores, sign scores, TNNSS, and RQLQ scores in both groups decreased compared to baseline, and these differences were statistically significant ( Conclusion: Acupuncture on the SPG and oral administration of lupatadine fumarate can both effectively alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life for patients with AR. The overall short-term efficacy is comparable. However, acupuncture on the SPG is more effective in relieving nasal congestion and has a good safety profile.