Complementary-alternative medicines are extensively used in the treatment of
allergic rhinitis and
asthma, but evidence-based recommendations are lacking. To provide evidence-based recommendations, the literature was searched by using MedLine and the Cochrane Library to March 2005 (Key words:
Asthma [OR]
Rhinitis, [AND] Complementary [OR]
Alternative Medicine, [OR] Herbal, [OR] Acupuncture, [OR]
Homeopathy, [OR] Alternative Treatment). Randomized trials, preferably double-blind and published in English, were selected. The articles were evaluated by a panel of experts. Quality of reporting was assessed by using the scale validated by Jadad. The methodology of clinical trials with complementary-
alternative medicine was frequently inadequate. Meta-analyses provided no clear evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture in
rhinitis and
asthma. Some positive results were described with
homeopathy in good-quality trials in
rhinitis, but a number of negative studies were also found. Therefore it is not possible to provide evidence-based recommendations for
homeopathy in the treatment of
allergic rhinitis, and further trials are needed. A limited number of studies of herbal remedies showed some efficacy in
rhinitis and
asthma, but the studies were too few to make recommendations. There are also unresolved safety concerns. Therapeutic efficacy of complementary-alternative treatments for
rhinitis and
asthma is not supported by currently available evidence.