title: [Clinical comparative study on the influence of acupoint sticking therapy in dog days and in non-dog days to the quality of life of allergic rhinitis patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe and compare the influence of acupoint sticking therapy in dog days and in non-dog days to the quality of life of allergic rhinitis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five cases were divided into group A (the acupoint sticking therapy in dog days group, 28 cases) and group B (the acupoint sticking therapy in non-dog day group, 27 cases) randomly. The acupoint sticking therapy description (Dazhui (GV 14), Fengmen (BL 12), Feishu (BL 13) etc. was used in both groups. Five times of acupoint sticking therapy were given to patients in group A during dog days in 2010, while another 5 times of acupoint sticking therapy were given to patients in group B before the dog days. The Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) was used to evaluate the effects before, after and half a year after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scores of behavior problems, nasal symptoms and quality of life in RQLQ of both groups all decreased after treatment (all P < 0.01). The score of emotion reaction of group A in the follow-up period decreased compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05). The scores of non-nasal-or-ocular symptoms, ocular symptoms and emotion reaction after treatment and in the follow-up period all decreased than those before treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The decreasing degrees of scores of non-nasal-or-ocular symptoms, ocular symptoms, emotion reaction and quality of life after treatment and in the follow-up period in group A were all greater than those in group B (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the same season, both acupoint sticking therapy in dog days and in non-dog dags can improve the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, but the improving degree to quality of life in the method of acupoint sticking in dog days is greater.
authors.affiliation: School of TCM, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Gui-Zhu
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shao-Jie
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ya-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jun-Qi
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Sheng-Xu
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal