Asthma affects over 25 million Americans and is particularly prevalent in the Pacific Northwest due to our damp climate and high pollen levels. While acupuncture doesn't replace your inhaler, it can significantly reduce attack frequency, improve lung function, and lower your overall dependence on bronchodilators.
How Acupuncture Helps Asthma
Acupuncture influences the autonomic nervous system — the system that controls your airway's response to triggers. It reduces bronchial hyperreactivity, decreases inflammation in the airways, and modulates the immune response that drives allergic asthma. Research shows that patients who receive regular acupuncture have fewer asthma attacks and use rescue inhalers less often.
Chinese Medicine's View of Asthma
In Chinese medicine, asthma involves two systems primarily: the lung (which governs breathing and the upper body's defense) and the kidney (which receives and "grasps" the breath, supporting the lung from below). Deficiency in either system, or the buildup of phlegm, contributes to asthmatic breathing.
Treatment is divided into two phases: acute (during or just after an attack, focusing on opening the airways and resolving phlegm) and preventive (building up lung and kidney qi between attacks). Preventive treatment is more important — it's what changes the underlying pattern.
Acupuncture and Allergy-Induced Asthma
Many Portland asthma sufferers have allergy-triggered asthma. The approach to this type overlaps significantly with allergy treatment: strengthening wei qi, reducing immune overreactivity, and treating the specific triggers involved. Treatment before allergy season significantly reduces asthma exacerbations during high-pollen months.
Cupping for Respiratory Conditions
Cupping on the upper back is a classical Chinese treatment for asthma and bronchitis. It loosens phlegm, opens the lung channels, and has a noticeable effect on breathing within the session. I combine cupping with acupuncture for acute respiratory flares.
Important Note on Safety
Acupuncture should be used alongside your prescribed asthma medications, not instead of them. Never stop your controller inhaler without consulting your pulmonologist. The goal is to complement your conventional care and reduce your need for rescue medication over time — not to replace emergency treatments.
Ready to experience acupuncture in Portland?
Amy Chitwood Burslem is a licensed acupuncturist at Calm Acupuncture in SW Portland. She offers a free initial phone consultation.
Schedule a consultationFrequently Asked Questions
Can acupuncture cure asthma?
Acupuncture doesn't cure asthma, but it can significantly reduce symptoms and attack frequency. Many patients achieve much better asthma control with acupuncture as part of their care plan.
How many treatments does asthma take?
A preventive course of 8 to 12 weekly sessions is typical for establishing better lung function. Monthly maintenance after that helps sustain the improvement.
Is acupuncture safe for children with asthma?
Yes, with pediatric-appropriate techniques. Children respond very well to acupuncture. Pediatric acupuncture uses shorter, finer needles with very brief insertion — many children barely notice them.