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symptom severity (SMD -0.11, 95% CI: -0.35, 0.013) or quality of life (SMD -0.03, 95% CI: -0.27, 0.22). Results of effects of acupuncture on rhinitis were judged to be inconsistent in 3 systematic reviews; the largest review included 12 acupuncture RCTs. A recent, large RCT, commissioned by German health insurance companies as part of the “Acupuncture in Routine Care” study and not yet included in existing reviews, included 981 randomized participants with allergic rhinitis. The study reported a mean improvement of 1.48 (SE 0.06) on a rhinitis quality of life questionnaire in the acupuncture group and 0.50 (SE 0.06) in the control group.

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