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Allergic rhinitis – hay fever and year-round nasal allergy – affects a large share of the population, and many people turn to acupuncture when medication alone falls short. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed how well acupuncture works, both on its own and alongside conventional treatment.
The authors searched the major English and Chinese databases for trials published between 2014 and 2025, including 38 randomised controlled trials. They directly compared three approaches: acupuncture plus medication, acupuncture alone, and conventional medication on its own, looking at both effectiveness and safety.
Overall, acupuncture – and especially acupuncture combined with conventional medication – was associated with better symptom control than medication alone, with a good safety profile.
Conclusion: the pooled evidence supports acupuncture as a useful option for allergic rhinitis, particularly as an add-on to standard treatment. As always, results vary between individuals and higher-quality trials are welcome.
Source: Ma J, Peng M, Song YG, and colleagues. Front Med (Lausanne). 2026. View on PubMed (PMID 42245938)
This is a plain-language summary of a published study, provided for general information; please refer to the original paper for full details.
