To evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture on sphenopalatine ganglion in the treatment of severe perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) in a randomized controlled clinical trials.

A total of 81 patients with severe perennial allergic rhinitis were randomly divided into three groups: 27 in the observation group, 27 in the drug control group and 27 in the acupuncture control group. The patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture on sphenopalatine ganglion; and the patients in the drug control group took Desloratadine; and the patient in the acupuncture control group were treated with acupuncture on Yintang (GV 29) and Yingxiang (LI 20). All the groups were treated for 4 weeks. The TNNS and VAS score system were tested before and after the treatment, and the nasal exhalation of nitric oxide (eNO) concentration level wa detected at baseline and each week’s during treatments.

After the treatment, the effective rate [80.8% (21/26) vs. 64.0% (16/25), 65.4% (17/26), χ²=13.811] of the observation group was significantly higher than either the drug control group or the acupuncture control group (P<0.01). Compared to the score of the three group before treatment, the TNNS score was significantly lower (P<0.01) after the treatment. Compared with the drug control group, the level of eNO in nasal exhalation air (265.377 ± 36.475 ppb vs. 281.769 ±45.823 ppb vs. 295.231 ± 24.595 ppb, F=4.247) of the observation group and the acupuncture control group were significantly higher (P<0.05).

Acupuncture on the sphenopalatine ganglion can not reduce the eNO concentration level of nasal exhaled air in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis, but it can improve the symptoms of rhinitis. The clinical effect of acupuncture on the sphenopalatine ganglion was better than the desloratadine and acupuncture on GV 29 and LI 20.

Rhinitis, allergic, perennial; Acupuncture; Sphenopalatine ganglion block; Nitric oxide; Desloratadine