Acupuncture and bronchial asthma

The 66 randomized patients with mild bronchial asthma who took part in this study were divided into three nearly equal groups. Group one was treated w ith true acupuncture during the first and the fourth month (up to week 16). Group two was treated similarly but needled at non-acupuncture points. The third group served as a control. All patients were allowed to maintain the ir normal asthma medication with the recommendation to keep the regimen unc hanged until week 20, i.e. 4 weeks after termination of the specific treatm ent. The changes in peak now variability up to week 16 served as main outco me criterion. Additional parameters included several spirometric analyses a s well as various markers in blood and sputum that are specific for the all ergic inflammatory reaction of the upper respiratory tract. The values meas ured showed considerable individual variability. This impeded the demonstra tion of efficacy. In conclusion it can be stated that there was a consisten t, positive yet unspecified effect of the needling in both treated groups w hich can be interpreted as a trend in affecting the asthmatic condition. Th is effect could have been more pronounced or even clinically relevant for c ertain individuals had one considered a separate analysis of the data of ea ch patient.