Is Acupuncture a Beneficial Therapy in Patients With Chronic Urticaria?

For patients with chronic urticaria (CU), the use of acupuncture was found to be a beneficial adjunctive therapy alongside omalizumab, according to a study published in Medical Science Monitor.

The study enrolled 61 patients with CU, 31 of whom received omalizumab with acupuncture and 30 omalizumab alone. The primary outcomes were the CU-Quality of Life (CU-QOL) and urticaria control test (UCT) scores, which were collected at baseline and after treatment. All participants received omalizumab 300 mg every four weeks. The acupuncture group received both body and ear applications once a week for eight weeks.

There were no significant differences between groups in terms of food limitations, feelings of embarrassment due to symptoms, limitations in use of cosmetic products (eg, creams, perfumes), or limitations in ability to do sports activities. All other CU-QOL outcomes, including eye and lip swelling, limitations in work and physical activities, mood, and sleep, were significantly improved in the acupuncture group, including mean total CU-QOL scores (P<.001). The mean UCT score was significantly higher in the acupuncture group, indicating greater disease control (P=.001).

“This study suggests that acupuncture therapy may be a beneficial adjunctive treatment for patients with CU receiving omalizumab therapy. We found significant improvements in both quality of life and disease control as measured by CU-QoL and UCT scores in the combined therapy group compared to both the control and pre-acupuncture groups,” the authors summarized.

They called for further research with larger populations and longer follow-up to confirm these findings, as well as to further understand the mechanism behind the role of acupuncture in CU management.

Source: Medical Science Monitor