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Updated: Feb 26, 2026
Acupoint Catgut Embedding Therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine for Managing Allergic Rhinitis
Published on: December 20, 2024
Multiple acupuncture and moxibustion therapies for allergic rhinitis in adults: a network Meta-analysis of randomized
Lin Lixia1, L I Xin2, L I Ling1
1Department of TCM preventive treatment of disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530022, China.
Objective:
To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of multiple acupuncture therapies in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) using a network Meta-analysis.
Methods:
This network Meta-analysis adhered to the PRISMA-NMA guideline. Eight databases were systematically searched from inception to December 31, 2023, and retrieved references were managed using EndNote 20. The risk of bias in individual studies was assessed with the Cochrane RoB 2.0 tool (ROB 2.0). Data analysis was performed using R 4.2.1 and STATA 15.1.
Results:
A total of 56 studies that had enrolled 4859 patients with AR were included. Hand acupuncture (HA) combined with acupoint catgut embedding (AE), hand acupuncture with heat sensitive moxibustion (HA + HSM), and acupoint application were the most effective in attaining the clinical effective rate. HA + AE, hand acupuncture with indirect moxibustion (HA + IM), and electroacupuncture (EA) with AE ranked the highest with respect to the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire Score. HA + IM, HA, and HA + EA yielded the best Total Nasal Symptom Score, whereas HA + AE, EA + AE, and HA had the best results for the Total Non-Nasal Symptom Score. However, subgroup analyses of clinical efficacy revealed that HA + HSM had the best therapeutic effects in the short term, whereas HA + AE was the most effective in the medium to long term.
Conclusion:
Combined acupuncture and moxibustion therapy may be a safe and effective intervention for patients with AR. HA + IM and HA + AE exhibited the most desirable therapeutic effects compared with other acupuncture and moxibustion therapies.
