According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 13 people have asthma. More than 25 million Americans have asthma. This is 7.7 percent of adults and 8.4 percent of children. Asthma is a leading chronic disease in children. Asthma may be rising due to rising levels of environmental pollution, food additives, genetics, toxins and allergens.
There is no cure for asthma, but it can be managed with proper prevention of asthma attacks and treatment. Indeed, acupuncture is effective in ameliorating the symptoms of asthma. Additionally, acupuncture can be a complementary treatment for asthma. So while Acupuncture does not treat asthma directly, many asthmatic patients receiving regular acupuncture treatments have found it beneficial. Read below about chiropractor West Palm Beach: acupuncture does help asthma.
What is Asthma?
The presentation of asthma is variable depending on the type. In a child with an allergic form of asthma, there will be recurrent episodes of wheezing, coughing, difficulty or labored breathing, and a feeling of chest tightness. These attacks may be related to exposure to an environmental allergen or may be aggravated by stress or exercise. The attacks may be occurring in the early morning. In an adult, it is common to have similar symptoms. However, the adult asthmatic will not be aware of allergies. There is often a history of a prolonged respiratory infection, exposure to occupational toxins, and/or a history of smoking.
What Causes Asthma?
Asthma is a multi-factorial dysfunction of the respiratory system. Nutritional, environmental, genetic, and emotional factors all play an important part in the etiology (cause) of this condition. Asthma is a lung disease that causes obstruction of the airways. During an asthma attack, spasms in the muscles surrounding the bronchi (small airways in the lungs) constrict, impeding the outward passage of air. Additionally, bronchoconstriction, mucus (phlegm) production, mucosal edema (swelling), and underlying inflammation join together to cause wheezing with associated dyspnea (difficult or labored breathing).
These spasms are a result of inflammation and hypersensitivity of the airways to certain stimuli such as:
- Environmental allergen/pollution
(mold, fumes, tobacco smoke, dust mites, animal dander)
- Food additives, chemicals, drugs
- Extreme cold/dry/humid air
- Emotional stress
- Exercise
- Respiratory infection such as bronchitis
Research on Acupuncture Treatment and Asthma
The mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture in asthma are not fully understood. Nevertheless, acupuncture is beneficial in the prevention and treatment of asthma. Existing evidence has shown that acupuncture might facilitate the prevention and treatment of asthma via its anti-inflammatory effects. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for preventing and treating several kinds of diseases, including allergic disorders, infections, autoimmune diseases, and immunodeficiency syndromes. Furthermore, Acupuncture has been traditionally used to treat allergic asthma and chronic bronchitis in China for more than a thousand years.
In one study (1), 192 patients with bronchial asthma were treated with acupuncture. And 98.9% of the patients experienced an immediate improvement. Moreover, the rate of remission plus marked improvement was 76.5%. However, the best therapeutic results were achieved for allergic asthma.
In another Chinese prospective study (2), the effect of acupuncture in the treatment of children with bronchial asthma was compared to a control group treated with conventional drugs. The clinical effectiveness of acupuncture was significantly higher than treatment with drugs (89% vs 64%). In addition, in the acupuncture group the level of eosinophils and IgE was highly significant and significantly lower respectively than in the control group (base group not receiving treatment). And Eosinophils are white blood cells involved in the body’s response to parasites and allergens, while IgE is a type of antibody that plays a crucial role in allergic reactions.
Co-management of Medically Treated Asthma
Conventional medical treatment of asthma includes avoidance of known allergens or other triggering substances, desensitization shots, and drugs. Asthma can be life threatening sometimes, in which case, drugs are simply necessary. Nevertheless, patients are turning to acupuncture, chiropractic and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies since all conventional drugs carry the risk of side effects. Also, for long term management of asthma, many patients found a combination of conventional and acupuncture more effective. Drugs were for symptom relief and only masked the problem.
Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Acupuncture Does Help Asthma
Meiri Chiropractic offers acupuncture for Asthma and many other ailments. All asthmatics have gone through periods when symptoms were minimal, even though no obvious environmental changes had occurred. These treatments may make the periods of freedom from asthma more frequent and longer lasting.
Asthma is generally a deep-seated chronic illness, but that doesn’t mean the symptoms have to dominate your life. Even though you can expect to need standard drugs at times, with regular acupuncture treatments overall improvement is possible.
Call Meiri Chiropractic today for your acupuncture treatment for Asthma at 561-253-8984.
References:
- Zang, J Tradit Chin Med 1990
- Gao et Zhu, Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi 2005
