Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Asthma

Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine45 enrolled

Overview

What is the trend of changes in asthmatic patients' daily peak expiratory flow (PEF) variability, pulmonary function, and quality of life (QOL) with acupuncture treatment on specific acupoints (CV22 and bilateral LU5, ST40, BL13, EXB1) compared with minimal acupuncture treatment (sham control group) on non-acupoints, and no acupuncture treatment (waiting list control group)?

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Asthma

Interventions

Disposable stainless steel acupuncture (0.2mmx4mm)DEVICE

For active acupuncture group, needles were inserted into nine acupoints (CV22 and bilateral LU5, ST40, BL13, EXB1)with De-qi three times a week for 4 weeks. For sham acupuncture group, Nine non-acupoints corresponded with each active acupoint were treated with minimal penetration into skin three times a week for 4 weeks.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 19 YearsMax age: 70 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * aged 19-70 years * at least 12% improvement in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)after the administration of short acting beta2 agonist. * at least one typical asthmatic symptom * using more than one routine anti-asthmatic medicine Exclusion Criteria: * acupuncture for asthma within 12 months of the study * emergency department visit within one month of the study * hospitalization for asthma within three months of the study * severe upper respiratory tract infections within six weeks of the study * systemic infections, cancers, autoimmune disorders, cardiac failures, myofacial infarcts,angina pectoris, renal failures or hepato-biliary diseases * smoke more than ten cigarettes per day

Locations (1)

Division of Allergy & Respiratory System, Department of Oriental Internal Medicine, Kyunghee medical center

Seoul, South Korea

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change of weekly average of peak expiratory flow (PEF)values in the morning at home

Time frame: From 1 week of run-in period to the 4th week of treatment

Secondary Outcomes

Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) Baseline Dyspnea Index (BDI) Transition Dyspnea Index (TDI) Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adult Korean Asthmatics (QLQAKA)

Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks after Baseline (BDI for baseline only, TDI for 2, 4, and 6 weeks after baseline)

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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