More on Acupuncture and Eczema

In an earlier post, I recounted my experience trying acupuncture to reduce eczema symptoms. Reuters has just reported on a study done by German researchers, which found that acupuncture can reduce itchiness if done immediately after exposure to an allergen and that exposure after acupuncture results in a less intense reaction. The researchers compared results when using true acupuncture points to both no treatment and the use of "placebo points," or acupuncture points that are not true points used in Chinese acupuncture. After being exposed to an allergen, those getting the "true points" treatment reported lower levels of itch. The abstract of the study, published in the journal Allergy, is online here.

For those interested in seeing if acupressure on the points would work, the two points used in the study are LI11 and SP10. The former is on the outer side of the elbow crease and the later is roughly above the knee and towards the inside of the leg.