Immediate antiasthmatic effect of acupuncture in 192 cases of bronchial asthma

192 cases of bronchial asthma were treated by acupuncture on Kongzui (Lu 6) and Yuji (Lu 10) with an immediate total effective rate of 98.9%, and the rate of clinical remission plus marked improvement was 76.5%. The efficacy for patients of varying ages and varying duration of the disease was not significantly different. Effects for asthma of the cold type according to TCM and of the allergic type according to western medicine were the most remarkable; and cases that responded to the treatment the most promptly would have better long-term curative efficacy, which was also associated with the length of needle retention. The author deemed that 40 minutes of needle retention after the treatment took effect was desirable. This modality for treatment of bronchial asthma was very satisfactory, particularly useful for cases with history of drug allergy.