Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways which effects over 5 million people in the UK, 1 million of whom are children. Symptoms include wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and cough.

Many people’s asthma is adversely affected by environmental factors such as changes in temperature or allergens. The extent to which the asthma affects lives can vary significantly. Standard treatment is via inhalers sometimes taken regularly and by others as and when.

Although there hasn’t been a great deal of large volume conclusive research into the effectiveness of acupuncture for asthma, many patients taking part in studies felt better afterwards. Anecdotal results in clinic too suggest it can make a difference to those experiencing chest problems.

There is also evidence to support acupuncture as an effective treatment for acute asthma attacks: a large trial showed it to be similar to inhaled salbutamol (Han 2012). Acupuncture has been found to be cost effective by virtue of improving quality of life (Rheinhold 2014).

I’ve successfully helped many people suffering with asthma. If you’d like to book you can do so online here. Alternatively, you can email or contact me via my contact form here.

Source: British Acupuncture Council. More information is available from the British Acupuncture Council about back pain here

Photo Credit: Darius Bashar