Melbourne researchers tested the ancient needle therapy on people with persistent nasal allergies and found it could offer some relief from a runny nose, congestion, sneezing and sinus pressure.

The study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, is the first in English literature to analyse the benefits of acupuncture in adults with severe hayfever.

The common condition is routinely treated with medication but the researchers conclude that needlework "may provide a safe and effective" drug-free alternative.

Lead investigator Professor Charlie Xue, from the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine at Melbourne's RMIT University, enlisted 80 patients aged from 16 to 70 for twice-weekly treatment sessions.

Half received genuine acupuncture, where needles were inserted up to three centimetres deep into "acupoints", while the others had a sham therapy, which involved shallow and wrongly-placed insertions.

After eight weeks, patients treated with real therapy found a greater relief from symptoms than those on the fake version.

And three months after therapy had ended this group still had fewer symptoms than their fellow sufferers.

"The reduction in the (symptoms) with treatment, and the persistence of the effect, appear to be the most clinically significant findings of the study," Prof Xue wrote.

More than three million Australians suffer from persistent hayfever, an inflammatory response sparked by allergens like house dust mites and pet dander.

By definition, it is present more than four days a week and for more than four weeks.

Drugs are commonly used to treat symptoms, which include nasal drip, itching, sneezing and broader problems like headache and earache.

However, side-effects and the need for long-term treatment are driving more sufferers to seek alternative therapies.

Studies have already found acupuncture effective for children with persistent hayfever and adults a less severe form of the condition.