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Acupuncture For Asthma - Fact Or Fiction?
Acupuncture For Asthma - Fact Or Fiction?
By Rebecca Prescott
Acupuncture for asthma may sound like an odd combination. One
is a common disease that affects approximately 20 million
Americans; the other is a mysterious, esoteric, alternative
medicine technique. Lots of people have asthma, but not many
people have tried acupuncture.
But if you are an asthma sufferer, it can seem at times that
anything - even something as mysterious as - is
worth trying. Breathing is something that most us never think
about. It's an unconscious process and unless we're ill, we
easily get the oxygen we need. But for people with asthma,
breathing is always on their minds. There is always the chance
that an asthma attack will leave them gasping for air. Sometime
these attacks are predictable and sometimes they are not,
sometimes they are minor and easily handled at home, and
sometimes asthma suffers end up in an emergency room. It's no
wonder that some asthma sufferers have turned to for
asthma.
Asthma is a chronic disease with no cure. There are different
types of asthma, but they all produce the same signs and
symptoms: rapid breathing, sweating, rapid heartbeat, and the
uncomfortable sensation of suffocation. The exact cause of
asthma is not known (there may be a genetic factor at work), but
there is no doubt that environmental factors - cold, dust,
pollution, etc - trigger the attacks. During the attacks,
inflammation and constriction of the respiratory passages limit
the amount of air that can be inhaled, the attacks can last for
minutes or hours and as mentioned earlier, there is no cure. But
although there is no cure, there are constant efforts to find
new methods of treatment, and there are practitioners and
patients who believe that for asthma is the answer.
Acupuncture (the word comes from the Latin words acus, meaning
needle, and pungere, meaning to puncture) is a very old system
of medicine. It is not clear where originates from,
but it has been most closely associated with China. In
acupuncture, very narrow needles are inserted into the skin
(just barely penetrating the surface) at certain key points in
the body. The needles are said to correct a disharmony in the
flow of energy through the body, a disharmony that is said to be
the cause of disease. Traditional, Western medicine has several
theories about how works (e.g., it may stimulate the
release of natural pain relievers, endorphins) but has not yet
completely explained how acupuncture.
Of course, the big question is, does work? And can
acupuncture successfully treat asthma? Well, not unlike the
search for an explanation for how asthma works, the
Acupuncture and Sciatica
Sciatica is a condition Acupuncture can treat. See these patient testimonials or call or email for more information. ]]>
Blood Pressure Lowered by Acupuncture
A 2005 study conducted at the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, Irvine found that acupuncture treatments that used low levels of electrical stimulation can lower blood pressure elevations by as much as 50 percent.[from Acufinder.com News - click on title for more…]
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Acupuncture and Depression: An Old Answer to an Old Problem
Depressive disorders affect almost 19 million Americans, or 9.5% of the population in any given one-year period and are estimated to cost the workplace over 40 billion dollars . At some point in their lives, 10%-25% of women and 5%-12% of men are likely to become clinically depressed. Even when depression is sub-clinical, the body's immune system is compromised and the symptoms reduce functioning and impair work performance and social relationships. Common symptoms of depressive disorders include: a decreased interest in most activities, insomnia, fatigue, and feeling empty and worthless. When depression is at its worst, hopelessness sets in and suicide becomes a desperate option for approximately 15% of people who suffer from severe depressive disorders. The personal and societal costs are staggering. Luckily, many people seek therapy and/or medications and now, Harvard Medical School reports that depression is one of the top 5 conditions for which people seek alternative care.[from Acufinder.com News - click on title for more…]]]>
Peripheral Neuropathy and Acupuncture
"Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that I have treated successfully perhaps more often than any other condition listed on my website. I have probably performed over 3000 treatments for this condition, maybe more..."
In this new article, Steve Phillips, L.Ac. talks about his experience treating three types of peripheral neuropathy with acupuncture. ]]>
answers are
not clear - and they depend on whom you ask. According to
traditional acupuncturists, yes, for asthma is an
effective treatment, especially with asthma in young children.
There are dozens of websites and thousands of testimonials that
all attest to the effectiveness of as a treatment
for asthma. Acupuncture, they say, has worked where nothing else
has.
But ask the same question - does for asthma work -
of doctors and scientists who have been trained in traditional,
Western medicine and scientific methodology, and the answer will
be quite different. Acupuncture, they say, is as interesting
phenomenon, but the question of how it works is less important
than the question does it work, and their answer to that is no.
There is no conclusive evidence that for asthma
works, and a review of the scientific studies that have
attempted to answer this question have not proven to
be a viable technique for treating asthma. If there are reports
that it works, these can be explained by the placebo effect (The
placebo effect states that medications or medical techniques/
procedures may be perceived by the patient as effective because
they believe they are effective, but there is no measurable
effect).
So can truly help someone who suffers from asthma?
That seems to depend on your point of view. If you feel that
illness is caused by disruption in energy flow and you are
convinced by anecdotal reports, the only reasonable answer is:
try it and find out. for asthma is very safe;
serious adverse effects are very rare. But if you are the type
of person who needs proof in the traditional sense, it may make
more sense to stick with the medications/therapies you are
taking and wait for solid evidence that can help
treat your asthma.
About the Author: Rebecca Prescott presents more articles on
asthma here:
http://www.articlehealthandfitness.com/categories/Conditions-and-Diseases/Respiratory-Disorders/Asthma/
For alternative health articles, check out these:
http://www.articlehealthandfitness.com/categories/Alternative-Health/
Rebecca is a health writer for this health article directory:
http://www.articlehealthandfitness.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link:
http://www.isnare.com/?aid=68779&ca=Medicines+and+Remedies
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