 |
 |
|
Treating Asthma with AcupunctureBy Wendy Taylor
|
|
Asthma sufferers know that depending on an inhaler in order to breathe can be both a frightening and an inconvenient way to live. But asthma patient Merleen Smith, 59, has found a better way to go. Driving 100 miles round trip once a week from Moorpark to West Los Angeles for treatment isn't easy. The reward, however, far outweighs the effort. For one thing, she's been able to give up inhalers - completely. For nine years, she used two different types every day, one of them containing steroids. Her new form of treatment? Acupuncture. Smith's asthma began in 1989 after she nearly died when a deadly fungus invaded her lungs. Last Christmas day she remained bedridden while friends and family celebrated the holiday in her living room, and on a recent trip to Europe, she was unable to keep up with fellow travelers without stopping constantly to inhale her medication. Today, she is almost symptom-free after only three months of acupuncture treatments. "My only regret is that I didn't know about acupuncture sooner," said Smith. "I'd drive a thousand miles to feel the way I do now. " The use of acupuncture for asthma is not new. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), asthma cases have risen to about 5% of the U.S. population. In fact, the number of Americans with the condition has increased 66% since 1980, said the AAAAI in a 1996 article in the Medical Tribune. An article in the July 18, 1996 issue of the Medical Tribune by medical writer Fran Kritz reported that Dr. Kim Jobst, M.D., at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, reviewed studies on the effectiveness of acupuncture for asthma. Dr. Jobst, an experienced acupuncturist and research fellow in the department of pharmacology at Oxford University in England, reviewed 16 published studies and concluded that acupuncture was proven effective in 10 of them. Of a total of 320 patients in the studies, 91% who used acupuncture were able to reduce the amount of medication they needed. "Patients should not stop taking their asthma medication, but there is evidence that acupuncture can be effective in reducing the severity of the disease and the amount of medication - which can cause severe side effects - that a patient needs," said Dr. Jobst. The FDA requested the 1996 studies prior to its reclassification of acupuncture that year. The FDA concluded that "acupuncture needles...are no longer considered investigational medical devices, but are now approved for used by 'qualified practitioners.'" Each state has its own requirements as to what constitutes a qualified practitioner. California regulates the practice of acupuncture in the state through the California Acupuncture Act and a series of regulations. To attain a license, applicants must graduate from an approved school, complete four years of academic education with a minimum of 1,548 hours of theory and 800 hours of clinical training, as well as passing the California licensing examination, which also covers herbology. Long regarded as a form of "alternative" medicine, acupuncture is gaining wider acceptance these days. Some insurance plans cover it, albeit at a lesser rate than traditional medical care, and many more medical doctors are referring their patients to acupuncturists. Los Angeles resident Denise Grigst, 45, doesn't have to drive very far for treatment, but she considers Ricardo Miranda a miracle worker. Suffering from asthma for more than a year, she was able to stop her medication, as well as her allergy shots, four months after starting acupuncture and herbal supplements. "I no longer wheeze when I breathe," said the busy law librarian, who used two kinds of inhalers every day just to survive working around hundreds of dusty, old books. Several months of weekly treatments can produce lasting results, even after a lifetime of suffering. After an initial series of treatments, patients typically make only occasional maintenance visits to their acupuncturist. Just ask Los Angeles resident Alice Naruo. She was diagnosed with asthma as a child and had been on medication, including steroid inhalers, for most of her life. Following six months of weekly acupuncture treatments, Naruo has been symptom-free for three and a half years. "Acupuncture needles are 25-50 times thinner than a regular hypodermic needle, providing the patient with a virtually painless treatment." Oriental Medicine Practices. In the treatment, sterilized, disposable stainless steel needles are inserted in specific points of the body to correct and balance the flow of energy. The needles stimulate the body's ability to heal itself. To complement a course of acupuncture treatments, the practitioner may recommend whole-body treatments such as herbal medicine, nutritional counseling and therapeutic massage. "I no longer take any medication for asthma," said Naruo. "However, I still use herbal supplements, and I've given up dairy products as a result of the nutritional counseling I received at westside Acupuncture. Though I'm only 27 now, I felt hopeless and old at 24 when I first started the acupuncture treatments. It's wonderful to feel normal," she said. In addition to the treatment of asthma, acupuncture has been successful in the treatment of sports injuries, as well as for anti-aging, face lifts, migraine, arthritis, digestive disturbances, weight loss, smoking cessation and emotional problems. Studies are currently underway examining the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of stroke victims. |
To Order Products By Phone, Call:
1-888-891-9222 or 310-914-1624
9am to 6pm PST
Monday - Friday
| Home | Herb
Store| Acupuncture | Chat
Room | Online Consultation |Westside
Acupuncture |Dragon Power|
|Clinic Director |Contact
Us |