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Asthma Aug 2008
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Alternative Medicines for Asthma
Asthma is a disease that makes the airways to the lungs prone to bouts of narrowing, resulting in breathing difficulties. Things that trigger asthma attacks include respiratory infections, substances that cause allergies (such as pollen, dust mites, animal dander, certain foods), airborne irritants (cigarette smoke, air pollution, and perfumes), exercise, emotional stress, and certain weather conditions.
Asthma deaths are on the rise in America. Increases in air pollution can take partial blame, but practitioners of alternative medicine point to the rise to illustrate that conventional medicine is not doing the trick and that more treatment approaches should be considered.
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Acupuncture and Asthma
ORIENTAL MEDICINE
DEFINITION: In Chinese medicine, asthma is called "xiao chuan, " which means wheezing and dyspnea, respectively. Chinese medicine classifies xiao and chuan as two separate illnesses with different treatments. Xiao (wheezing) is characterized by a whistling sound during breathing, increased respiration rate, dyspnea and inability to rest in a horizontal position. Chuan (shortness of breath) is characterized by dyspnea, constant opening of mouth to grasp air, raised shoulder, flared nostrils and inability to rest in a horizontal position. Patients with xiao (wheezing) generally will have chuan (shortness of breath), while patients with chuan (shortness of breath) may or may not have xiao (wheezing). In Western medicine, wheezing and shortness of breath are both considered as symptoms which may be present in many different types of pulmonary syndromes such as asthma, acute bronchitis, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
ETIOLOGY: In Oriental Medicine, there are many factors that may trigger an asthma attack. Examples include the invasion of the external pathogenic factors, diet, emotional disturbances, congenital weakness and chronic illnesses.
External pathogenic factors, such as cold or heat, commonly induce asthma attacks. Lung dominates the Qi and manifests on the skin. As the environment affects the skin, the change is reflected in the Lung. As the Lung is attacked, its function to regulate water passage becomes impaired, water begins to stagnate and phlegm starts to form. Asthma attacks due to the invasion of external pathogenic factors is most likely to occur when the temperature is cold or if there is a rapid change in weather. External pathogenic factors may also include pollen, cigarette smoke, and any other allergens.
Diet can also trigger an asthma attack. Raw and cold food may injure the Spleen and tend to contribute to the stagnation of fluid circulation and the increase in the production of phlegm. Heavy, sweet, and greasy food tend to create phlegm and heat in the body. Fish, crabs, shellfish and other seafood have also been noted to increase the likelihood of asthma attacks as well.
Congenital weakness and chronic illness are also common causes of asthma. Children with asthma generally have congenital Kidney Qi deficiency. On the other hand, chronic illness, such as patients with chronic cough and recurrent cold/flu, are likely to have Lung deficiency.
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Chiropractic and Asthma
Chiropractic is not a treatment for asthma. However, many who suffer from asthma report improvement by receiving chiropractic care.
Considerable research documents the link between the spinal column, the nervous system and the respiratory system. This is why so many people have mentioned improved breathing by consulting our office.
Countless Causes
Asthma cases seem to be rising at an alarming rate. Some think it's due to a combination of factors, especially the increase of chemicals in our environment. These days, airtight, super-insulated homes can trap chemicals, molds, formaldehyde and other irritants. Even the increasing use of vaccinations, cesarean births, antibiotics and our fascination with germ killing have been cited.
If these factors were the only issue, why wouldn't all children living in the same house and breathing the same air, suffer equally?
Chiropractic Connection
Your diaphragm is the primary muscle used for breathing. Nerves that control each breath leave your brain and exit the spinal cord in the mid-neck (C3, C4 and C5) area. Spinal problems in this area can have a profound affect on the nerve supply to the diaphragm.
Reducing vertebral subluxations in the spine can help restore proper nervous system control of the lungs and improved function can begin.
Proven Research
In fact, research published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research documented the results experienced by 81 children with asthma who received chiropractic care. The two-month study revealed that those under care saw a 45% decrease in the number of "attacks" and that 31% of the subjects voluntarily chose to decrease their medication.
All this from improved nervous system control of the lungs!
Find Out More
Chiropractic care may help reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. Naturally, we can't make any promises, however, if your son or daughter has subluxations, and they are the cause of their symptoms, many have found relief with conservative chiropractic care.
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Massage Therapy and Asthma
Massage Therapy Helps Kids with Asthma and Other Health Conditions
by D.J. Fletcher
The number of U.S. children under five with asthma has increased 160 percent in 12 years. As reported in a recent New York Times article, "Asthma Becoming an Urban Epidemic," the statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are staggering: the number of asthma sufferers has more than doubled in less than twenty years, skyrocketing from 6.7 million in 1980 to 17.3 million in 1998. More than 4.8 million of these asthmatics are children. No wonder panicked parents are running to doctors for asthma remedies for their children. But beneath the growing mountain of medications is buried a much-needed approach to managing pediatric asthma: massage therapy. Maureen Miller, President of the American Massage Therapy Association, offers the encouraging news that medical referrals to massage therapists are increasing. Meanwhile, disagreements continue within and between conventional and alternative medical communities about the causes and cures of asthma. One important point of consensus is that stress management programs benefit asthmatics and massage therapy is a viable means of reducing stress. Scientific research is finding the health benefits of massage for asthma. For example, in a 30-day study by Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School in Miami, Florida, children with asthma experienced improved pulmonary function after receiving massage therapy administered by their parents. The children's parents were taught to provide massage therapy for 20 minutes every night before bedtime. Young children (four to eight) were shown to have decreases in behavioral anxiety and stress hormone immediately after massage. Also, their attitude toward their asthma conditions improved. Older children (nine to fourteen) didn't realize quite as much benefit, but still, children of all ages experienced improved airway caliber and control of their asthma.
Stress Rubs Kids the Wrong Way
Asthma is said to result from specific intrinsic or extrinsic factors, or "triggers," that cause bronchial constriction and airway inflammation. There are different types of asthma, such as summer asthma, associated with hay fever and inhalant allergens; dust asthma, triggered by dust (a common occupational hazard); and atopic asthma, said to be caused by a genetically determined hypersensitivity to environmental allergens. Massage therapy performed with the child in a prone position is not recommended during an acute asthma episode, since lying down can make it more difficult to breathe. Working on certain acupressure points with a child seated can, however, open up bronchial pathways during an attack. Massage therapy is an effective long term treatment because it reduces the stress response.
Parents as Massage Therapists
There are massage classes throughout the country through which parents can learn appropriate techniques. There are many kinds of massage. In addition to learning to apply techniques to use daily at bedtime; you might also consider setting up sessions for your child in which a CMT can perform a full professional massage. Because massage therapy for asthmatic children is not yet a widely practiced method of managing asthma, the hardest part of getting started might be finding a CMT with experience in this application. Perhaps you can find a reputable CMT in your area through your primary health care practitioner, or through a local association dedicated to asthma awareness and education.
Pediatric Massage Therapy Also Helps Other Conditions
There are other proven health benefits of massage therapy, says psychologist Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute. Studies at the institute have shown that massage is effective in helping weight gain and general development in premature and prenatally cocaine-exposed infants; in improving behavior in autistic children; and in lessening anxiety in children suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Institute studies have looked at other serious pediatric health problems as well. One is cystic fibrosis. After a 30-day trial, children and their parents reported reduced anxiety and improved mood, which in turn seem to facilitate breathing as measured by peak air flow readings. Another study showed that massage therapy works in a similar way to benefit children with diabetes mellitus. After 30 days, children in the study had reduced anxiety, were less fidgety, and had a less depressed affect. Moreover, their compliance for insulin and food regulation had improved and blood glucose levels decreased to normal range. Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder also benefit from reduced fidgetiness. Adolescents provided with massage therapy in a study were not only observed as being less fidgety after ten consecutive sessions, but also they rated themselves as happier. Teachers then found they spent more time on class tasks. Massage therapy also has applications in pain management. A study revealed that children suffering from mild to moderate juvenile rheumatoid arthritis receive immediate and longer-term pain relief from massage, as well as relief from anxiety
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