Research Archive

In a randomised controlled study, patients of 18 years or older with allergic asthma were assigned to either routine care plus acupuncture (15 sessions over three months, 184 patients) or routine care alone (173 patients). Patients who did not consent to randomisation also received acupuncture (1088 patients). At three months, asthma specific quality of life and health-related general quality of l ...

A prospective, single-blinded, randomised crossover-controlled study has been carried out to determine the efficacy of acupuncture in treating asthma. Eighteen patients were randomly assigned to receive one treatment of either real or sham acupuncture. Lung function was assessed immediately before and after the treatment session, using spirometry to measure forced expiratory volume in one second ( ...

A single session of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of acupuncture points (Acu-TENS) appears to improve lung function and reduce dyspnoea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In a randomised, placebo-controlled trial carried out in Hong Kong, 46 COPD patients, mean age 75 years, were randomised to receive either 45 minutes of Acu-TENS over bilateral Dingchuan (M-BW-1 ...

The effect of acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment to medication has been investigated in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A prospective trial with matched-pair parallel groups of patients was carried out in a Japanese hospital. Thirty patients were divided into two groups. One group received acupuncture treatments once a week for 10 weeks, in addition to medication, while the contr ...

Evidence supporting the use of TCM in asthma treatment in is increasing. Two American authors have reviewed promising TCM interventions for asthma and explored their mechanisms of action. Possible mechanisms at work include anti-inflammation, inhibition of airway smooth muscle contraction, and immunomodulation. One of the authors has recently presented some preliminary results from a clinical tria ...