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Unconventional therapies in asthma: an overview
1University of Southampton, UK.
Allergy
|November 1, 1996
Summary
Complementary therapies like acupuncture and herbal medicine show potential benefits for asthma patients. More high-quality research is needed to integrate these approaches with conventional asthma treatments.
Area of Science:
- Integrative medicine
- Respiratory medicine
- Evidence-based practice
Background:
- Asthma management often involves conventional treatments.
- Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are increasingly popular among asthma patients.
- Existing evidence for CAM in asthma is varied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence base for complementary therapies in asthma management.
- To assess the potential benefits and limitations of these therapies.
- To highlight the need for further research.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on acupuncture, homeopathy, mind-body therapies, nutritional, herbal, and environmental medicine for asthma.
- Analysis of existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and other evidence.
- Synthesis of findings regarding objective and subjective patient benefits.
Main Results:
- Acupuncture, herbal medicine, and mind-body therapies show promise.
- Evidence from large RCTs is limited for many CAM approaches.
- Some therapies demonstrate objective and subjective improvements in specific patient groups.
Conclusions:
- Complementary therapies may offer benefits for selected asthma patients.
- High-quality research is urgently required to validate these findings.
- Further investigation is needed to integrate CAM effectively with conventional asthma care.