Can Acupuncture Help Asthma?
Having been diagnosed with asthma when I was too young to remember, only to have some serious, frightening attacks later when I was in my twenties, I can appreciate any asthma sufferer who wishes to find a non-chemical solution to this health problem.
From personal experience, and as has been proven in some studies*, acupuncture has the potential to help. That said, this is when it is carried out by the right practitioner, who is obviously going to be properly qualified, but ideally will also be tuned into their patients.
Issues With Studies
*The issue with studies is that they have been limited in a variety of ways. For example, one can question firstly whether the acupuncture used in studies is a realistic reflection of what is used in everyday clinical practice. In studies two different types of acupuncture can be used, hence complicating further the results.
So taking the Cochrane Library review on acupuncture and asthma, in this instance the results of two small studies using these two types of acupuncture were pooled but the conclusion was that there was insufficient data in order to facilitate the extrapolation of the effects of acupuncture to the general population level.
As clinical trials will be given a limited number of case studies, researchers will frequently attempt to find the most effective combination of acupuncture points for asthma. However both in valuable books and clinical practice, the reality is that the approach is far more specific. Points needled can be according to the excess type and deficiency type.
Also there are a good number of points at the front and back of the ribcage which are used traditionally for alleviating asthmatic breathing, yet only a few of these are mentioned occasionally in clinical trials and textbooks.
Acupuncture Approach And Asthma
So although it would be great for acupuncturists and advocates of acupuncture that there was a wealth of studies that could give evidence that acupuncture can help asthma, as yet this is not the case.
What do we have to help us make an informed decision? We really only have the fact that in the traditional way of acupuncture and TCM regards any disease, asthma included, as a manifestation of a deeper disharmony. Therefore when a patient attends a properly qualified acupuncturist who has the ability to diagnose and tune into whatever the root cause of the disharmony is, then there is a real ray of hope for help with asthma as well as many other conditions.
That said it is not responsible of practitioners to recommend asthma sufferers coming off their medication totally. Being stuck without an inhaler is no joke if you get a serious asthma attack! Instead a gradual, cautious reduction should be adopted and patients should be given the choice to do what they feel comfortable with, of course within the realms of safety.
Asthma And The Traditional TCM View
Traditionally in TCM the view is that asthma can occur because of disorders connected with the functioning of the lungs, stomach and kidney. Therefore many of the potential points to be needled can be found along the respective meridians, as well as the bladder meridian, as this is used in the treatment of all organs.
On the upper part of the back there are quite a few bladder meridian points which are used in the treatment of asthma and some of these are especially important as there can be a blockage of qi (energy flow) in the back that has an important influence on the severity of asthmatic breathing.
The organs in TCM are not regarded simply as western medicine regards them as purely anatomical. In TCM they carry a combination of physical, spiritual, emotional and energetic aspects.
According to TCM's Five Element Theory the different organ systems are interrelated and it is used in TCM to diagnose patterns of disharmony. The five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water.
The metal element corresponds with the lungs (as yin organ), the large intestine (yang organ), with the season of autumn and the colour white. This element controls respiration as well as skin issues and removal of waste from the body. Imbalance can manifest as asthma, shortness of breath, skin conditions, coughing, bowel problems and feelings of sadness or grief.
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