In animals and humans, asthma is a common chronic disease with a multi-factorial etiology and only partially understood mechanism. Most of the currently available treatments, such as anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants, do not prevent, and in most cases inhibit, the natural progression of asthma. Therefore many asthma sufferers (both animal and human) turn to Holistic therapies to improve management of their condition.
Historically, acupuncture has been used to treat asthma for thousands of years in China. The WHO listed asthma as an indication for acupuncture in 1979, and the National Institutes of Health have since recommended acupuncture as an adjudicative treatment in comprehensive management program for asthma. Previous studies have shown that acupuncture may be effective as a treatment for asthma by alleviating symptoms and improving quality of life in affected patients, both animal and human.
Our Integrative Referral Center at Mountain View Animal Hospital has been successfully utilizing acupuncture as a treatment for asthma with excellent results.
Dr. Sarah Kalivoda
Mountain View Animal Hospital & Holistic Pet Care
Reno, Nevada
775-853-6900
References:
- Erle DJ, Sheppard D. The cell biology of asthma. J Cell Biol 2014;205:621–31. doi:10.1083/jcb.201401050 [PMC free article] [PubMed]
- Wenzel SE. Asthma phenotypes: the evolution from clinical to molecular approaches. Nat Med2012;18:716–25. doi:10.1038/nm.2678 [PubMed]
- Yang YQ, Chen HP, Wang Y., et al. Considerations for use of acupuncture as supplemental therapy for patients with allergic asthma. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2013;44:254–61. doi:10.1007/s12016-012-8321-3[PubMed]
- Choi JY, Jung HJ, Kim JI., et al. A randomized pilot study of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy in adult asthmatic patients. J Asthma 2010;47:774–80. doi:10.3109/02770903.2010.485665 [PubMed]
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