[The role of acupuncture in asthma].

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory syndrome of airways, in which different cells and their mediators play a role originating damage clinically expressed by recurrent respiratory symptoms. Current therapy of asthma is focused to reduce airway inflammation, diminishing long-term bronchial hyperactivity and rescue treatment (when required). Unfortunately, the failure of current therapies of asthma has increased the number of patients searching for approximations in complementary and alternative medicine. Scientific evidence is still scarce for establishing that alternative medicine is more effective than placebo in asthma. However, this does not mean that it is ineffective, maybe more multicentric clinical assays are needed, with methodological rigor, to establish final conclusions of efficacy and safety of complementary medicine. Thus, until such results are available, it is better to be skeptical and not to recommend acupuncture for asthma treatment.

• Authors: Estela del Río-Navarro Blanca, Marco Antonio Góngora-Meléndez, Joaquín Esquer-Flores, Alberto José Escalante-Domínguez, Alejandra Macías
• Journal: Revista alergia Mexico (Tecamachalco, Puebla, Mexico : 1993) (Rev Alerg Mex) 2009 Sep-Oct Vol. 56 Issue 5 Pg. 154-7 ISSN: 0002-5151 [Print] Mexico
• Vernacular Title: El papel de la acupuntura en el asma.
• PMID: 19999018 (Publication Type: English Abstract, Journal Article, Review)

Topics

• Acupuncture Therapy
• Asthma (therapy)
• Humans