Asthma is an allergy-based condition characterised by spasm of muscles in the airways which obstruct the free passage of air to and from the gas exchange surfaces in the lungs. Shortness of breath and wheezing are apparent in attacks. These attacks may be mild and sporadic, requiring only the occasional use of reliever (bronchodilator) sprays or they may be so severe as to be life-threatening. The main thrust of management is the use of preventer (surface steroidal) sprays to inhibit attacks. The need for frequent use of bronchodilator relievers indicates poor asthma control. A reduction in exposure to known allergens, both inhaled and ingested, will help..

Higher doses of steroids, either inhaled or taken orally, can temporarily retard growth in infants and can cause skin fragility, bruising and weakening of the bones in the elderly. Acupuncture is a very useful adjunct in these situations as it can reduce use of steroids significantly and diminish their general adverse effects on the body.

In general there is little place for acupuncture in the treatment of severe asthma. Deaths from severe asthma are reported to be on the increase, and early transfer to the hospital emergency department is indicated in severe asthma. Acupuncture may however have an adjunctive role in the emergency room

The author has used acupuncture in an emergency setting in a country hospital. An older patient was discharged from a metropolitan hospital after she had been admitted for severe asthma the night before (soon after getting off an interstate flight). She was on her way to Northampton, another country town further north, when she again developed severe asthma and presented to the local hospital that night with severe shortness of breath. Apart from her marked respiratory distress, she also had dangerously high blood pressure associated with a very severe headache. Because conventional therapy with bronchodilators and steroids was not without danger, acupuncture therapy was used for initial treatment as a safer alternative. Happily this patient’s asthma responded very well to acupuncture therapy and she did not require treatment with any additional medication. Her hypertension also reverted to normal with further acupuncture treatment

The above incident shows that while acupuncture is rarely used in an emergency setting, it has the potential to provide a safe alternative in some emergency problems, and may perhaps be safely used concurrently with conventional treatment.