When the Ten Thousand Things are seen in their Oneness, We return to the Origin where we have always been. - Sengtan

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Oriental Medicine Newspaper

NEWS RELEASE

February 15, 2008
For More Information Contact: Kathleen Rushall Phone: (800) 729-0941

Acupuncture Provides Cost-Effective Relief For Asthma Patients

Any kind of ailment can be costly to treat, and asthma is no exception. Inhalers are increasing in price, and consumers are looking for more cost-effective methods of dealing with such respiratory disorders. Asthma affects more than 15 million people in the United States, and the strain of living with asthma has been compounded by inflated average wholesale prices.

Acupuncture, a 5,000-year-old Chinese medical practice, is proving to be one way for some asthma patients to manage their symptoms without over-paying. In a study conducted by the University Hospital of Vienna, over 70 percent of patients with long-standing asthma reported a significant improvement in their symptoms after 10 weeks of acupuncture treatment. Bronchospasms associated with asthma result from over-stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system. Stimulation of acupuncture points can relieve both physical and emotional stress because they trigger the release of endorphins in the brain. Asthma sufferers can therefore experience both a physical release from bronchial constriction, and also an emotional or psychological release from the fear of constriction and suffocation.

Acupuncture is also more cost-effective than many Western drug therapies. In 1990, costs related to asthma were estimated at $6.2 billion. According to the American Lung Association, the average cost for one hospital stay for a child with asthma is $4,000. Acupuncture, by contrast, costs an average of $85 per session and can eliminate the need for emergency hospital visits and Western drugs. An estimated 70 to 80 percent of the nation's insurers covered acupuncture treatments in 1996, making it an even more viable option for those with asthma.

Numerous clinical studies have been conducted that prove Oriental medicine's efficacy in the treatment of skin conditions. In a clinical trial at the famous Beijing Guan Anmen hospital, Department of Dermatology professor Zhu Renkang enrolled 108 patients with widespread plaque psoriasis to investigate the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine in treating this stubborn disease. His results revealed that 72.2% of the patients had a total clearing of skin, and 11.1% had significant improvement, meaning that there was over 80% improvement in the patients' conditions.

For more information on how acupuncture can help manage the symptoms of asthma, please call(800) 729-0941, or visit www.PacificCollege.edu.

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