Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2002 May;121(5):1396-400.
doi: 10.1378/chest.121.5.1396.

Short-term acupuncture therapy is of no benefit in patients with moderate persistent asthma

Michael Y Shapira  1 , Neville Berkman, Gila Ben-David, Avraham Avital, Elat Bardach, Raphael Breuer
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Short-term acupuncture therapy is of no benefit in patients with moderate persistent asthma

Michael Y Shapira et al. Chest. 2002 May.

Abstract

Study objectives: Acupuncture traditionally has been used to treat asthma. Nevertheless, only a few controlled studies have been performed to determine the efficacy of this treatment. Our study aimed to determine the efficacy of acupuncture in patients with moderate persistent asthma.

Methods: Twenty-three patients with moderate persistent asthma who had been treated only with inhaled beta(2)-agonists were randomly assigned to receive four sessions of real acupuncture (RA) or sham acupuncture (SA) in a blinded manner. After a washout period of 3 weeks, the patients were crossed over. Monitoring included FEV(1), methacholine challenge, daily peak flow (PF) variability, and the keeping of an asthma diary.

Results: Twenty of 23 patients completed the study. There was no significant change in FEV(1) following treatment. The mean (+/- SE) FEV(1) values before and after the RA were 73 +/- 4% and 73 +/- 3%, respectively (not significant [NS]). FEV(1) values before and after SA were 70 +/- 3% and 70 +/- 3%, respectively (NS). There was also no change in provocative methacholine concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV(1) (PC(20)) before and after treatment. The mean PC(20) values before and after RA were 0.92 +/- 0.42 mg/mL and 1.16 +/- 0.51 mg/mL, respectively (p = 0.71), while the PC(20) values before and after SA were 1.47 +/- 0.83 mg/mL and 1.11 +/- 0.79 mg/mL, respectively (p = 0.59). There was no change in the mean PF variability before and after the RA (1.6 +/- 3.1% and 1.8 +/- 2.3%, respectively [NS]). The PF variability before and after SA were 3.6 +/- 2.8% and 2.8 +/- 3.4%, respectively (NS). No significant difference was demonstrated for symptom scores or for the use of beta(2)-agonist inhalers (RA, 6.7 +/- 3.4; SA, 8.1 +/- 3.6; p = 0.58).

Conclusion: In patients with moderate persistent asthma, a short course of acupuncture treatment resulted in no change in lung functions, bronchial hyperreactivity, or patient symptoms.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • Acupuncture for asthma: fact or fiction?
    Varon J, Fromm RE Jr, Marik PE. Varon J, et al. Chest. 2002 May;121(5):1387-8. doi: 10.1378/chest.121.5.1387. Chest. 2002. PMID: 12006413 No abstract available.
  • Missing the (acu) point.
    Varon J, Fromm RE Jr, Marik PE. Varon J, et al. Chest. 2003 Apr;123(4):1313. doi: 10.1016/s0012-3692(15)32556-3. Chest. 2003. PMID: 12703498 No abstract available.

Publication types

Substances