Acupuncture does seem to help lessen the misery of chronic nasal allergies in children as young as 6, a new study indicates.

Hong Kong researchers found that among 85 allergy sufferers between the ages of 6 and 19, those given a series of acupuncture treatments had fewer bouts of sneezing, congestion and runny nose over the next two to three months.

Larger studies, the researchers say, are now needed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture for childhood nasal allergies.

If the current findings are confirmed, study leader Dr. Daniel K. Ng told Reuters Health, it would “open a new front on the treatment” of allergic rhinitis, more commonly known as hay fever.

Ng, a consultant pediatrician at Kwong Wah Hospital in Hong Kong, and his colleagues report their findings in the journal Pediatrics.

Acupuncture is among the most widely practiced forms of traditional or alternative medicine, with research showing it may aid in conditions such as chronic pain and post-surgery nausea. The technique involves using fine needles to pierce the skin at specific points, then manipulating the needle by hand or, in some cases, with electrical stimulation.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture points are connected to pathways in the body that conduct energy, and stimulating the points promotes the flow of this energy. Modern research has suggested that acupuncture may work by altering signals among nerve cells or affecting the release of various chemicals of the central nervous system.

Nasal allergy symptoms arise from an abnormal immune system reaction to environmental substances such as pollen, dust and pet dander. There is some evidence from other research, Ng noted, that acupuncture influences immune function.

But, he said, “We need to prove first that the acupuncture is effective before we figure out the reasons why it is effective.”

The children in the study had all suffered nasal symptoms for at least four weeks and tested positive for allergies. Half were randomly assigned to undergo acupuncture twice a week for eight weeks. For comparison, the other half received “sham” acupuncture sessions, in which needles were inserted to a very shallow depth and were not manipulated.

The children went off certain allergy medications, such as long-acting antihistamines, during treatment, but were allowed to take an oral antihistamine if their symptoms became severe.

After all sessions were completed, children and parents in the acupuncture group reported fewer daily allergy symptoms and more symptom-free days than those in the comparison group, according to the report.

The apparent benefit did wane by the 10th week after treatment, suggesting that acupuncture cycles would need to be repeated if used for nasal allergies, the researchers note.

Considering acupuncture’s reliance on needles, it’s a bit of a surprise that children in the study were so tolerant of the therapy, according to the study authors.

Ng, who described acupuncture as “only mildly unpleasant,” said he’d had concerns that children would not be happy about the needles.

“But the result,” he said, “is that Hong Kong Chinese children are quite receptive to this treatment…It would be interesting to see the response in American children.”

SOURCE: Pediatrics, November 2004.