Effectiveness of Acupuncturing at the Sphenopalatine Ganglion Acupoint Alone for Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Table 1

Characteristics of the included studies.

Study

Age

Course of the disease

Diagnosis

Intervention

Sample size (male/female)

Outcomes

Frequency (period)

Follow-up time

Withdrawal or lost to follow-up

Adverse events

Place

(A/C)

(A/C)

(A/C)

A

C

(A/C)

(A/C)

(A/C)

Chen 2015

21~39/21~39

More than 4 W/more than 4 W

A1

SGA/SA

11/9

9/10

A2, A9

1 per W (3W)/1 per W (3W)

NR

2/4

Blood stasis occurs after acupuncture on the cheek: 1/none

Beijing

Chen 2013 (A)

21~58 (37.0 ± 10.3)

ORA:24~53 (36.7 ± 8.7)

55.6M (mean)

53.4M (mean)

A3

SGA with EA

ORA with EA

13/17

15/15

A4, A9, A13, A14, A15

2 per W (4W)

2 per W (4W)

NR

NR

NR

Guangzhou

Chen 2013 (B)

WM:19~55 (35.0 ± 11.2)

46.7M (mean)

WM

14/16

2 per D (28D)

Xu 2016

39 ± 10/42 ± 10

61.2 ± 49.2M/59.7 ± 58.2M

A5, A6

SGA/ORA

15/25

12/28

The evaluation of the curative effect according to symptoms and signs of A3, A4, A7, A8, A13

1 or 2 per W (1M, 8 at most)/2 per W (1M, 8 in total)

NR

5/6

Bleeding after acupuncture: 2/none

Beijing

Ni 2006

9~58 (mean=31.3)/11~61 (mean=33.5)

2~15Y (mean=5.5Y)/1.5~16Y (mean=4.5Y)

NR

SGA/WM

106/89

103/88

The evaluation of the curative effect according to symptoms and signs of A3, A13

1 per D (7D)/3 per D (7D)

NR

None

NR

Huzhou

Li 2017

29.6 ± 13.4/27.1 ± 17.2

11.5 ± 6.9Y/10.6 ± 7.2Y

NR

SGA/ORA

48/26

74/45

A13

1 per W (2M)/1 per D (2M)

NR

NR

NR

NR

Zheng 2009

NR

NR

A3

SGA/ORA

8/12

Healthy people: 9/11

(A9+A10); serum SP content; A13

1 per 2D for 30 times, take a 7-day break every two times (both groups)

Y

None/2

NR

Fuzhou

ORA: 8/12

Hu 2017 (A)

SGA (unilateral): 19~66 (49.22 ± 14.05)

18~69 (49.91 ± 10.61)

5M~32Y (12.36 ± 10.15Y)

6~50Y (12.77 ± 12.02Y)

A4

SGA (bilateral and unilateral separately)/ORA

13/19

16/17

A4, A9, A10, A13

1 per W (4W)

2 per W(4W)

NR

3

2

Subcutaneous hematoma (only 1 in unilateral SGA group)

Beijing

Hu 2017 (B)

SGA (bilateral): 18~70 (49.17 ± 13.86)

6M~30Y (10.82 ± 8.42Y)

12/18

1 per W (4W)

5

Mi 2018

35.87 ± 10.36/35.97 ± 9.15

49.03 ± 29.84M/51.17 ± 32.39M

A6

SGA/SA

16/14

17/14

A4, A9, A14, A15

2 per W (4W)/2 per W (4W)

Y

6/5

None

Guangzhou

: Chen 2013 (A) and Chen 2013 (B) are the two substudies of Chen 2013, and Hu 2017 (A) and Hu 2017 (B) are the two substudies of Hu 2017; A1: Diagnostic Criteria for Diagnosis and Therapeutic Evaluation of Allergic Rhinitis (revised in 1997, Haikou); A2: Subjective Symptom Scale and Objective Evaluation Indexes of Patients with Rhinitis (Nasal resistance, Nasal acoustic reflex, Nasal exhalation NO); A3: Principles and Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis (Lanzhou, 2004); A4: the RQLQ Questionnaire; A5: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis (2009, Wuyi mountain); A6: Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA, 2008, WHO); A7: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); A8: Follow-up on the number of days of recurrence; A9: Rhinitis Symptom Score (TNSS); A10: Score of the Accompanying Symptoms of Rhinitis (TNNSS); A11: Duration of efficacy after treatment; A12: the time required for improvement of symptoms, signs, and accompanying symptoms after treatment; A13: Clinical efficacy (qualitative outcome); A14: RQLQ scores for emotion, nonnasal/ocular symptoms, and behavioral problem areas; A15: RQLQ sleep domain score; A16: Recurrence rate in follow-up; EA: Electric acupuncture; D: Day; W: week; M: month; Y: year; NR: nothing reported.