A study in Germany has shown that acupuncture can be a useful addition to usual care, in childhood asthma rehabilitation programmes.
A total of 93 paediatric patients were randomly assigned to receive either usual care, or usual care plus 12 weekly acupuncture treatments which were individualised according to each patient’s traditional Chinese medical diagnosis. In the acupuncture group following treatment, peak expiratory flow variability showed significant improvement compared with that of the control group. Additionally, the acupuncture group showed significantly reduced levels of perceived anxiety.
(Acupuncture in Children and Adolescents with Bronchial Asthma: A Randomised Controlled Study. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, October 2011.)
Author: Robin Costello
I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training.
I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.
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