A recent American health survey suggested that 24 million Americans suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COPD has many causes, including allergies, asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Conventional medicine often treats strained breathing with drugs and steroids that dilate bronchial tubes and relax the muscles of the chest walls. However, acupuncture provides a natural way to relax the surrounding walls and increase bronchial circulation.
A recent study in Japan showed that three months of acupuncture improved breathing problems in people with chronic lung disease. Results were equal to or better than conventional drug and exercise treatment. The study suggested that acupuncture “improves quality of life,” according to Dr. George Lewith, from the University of Southampton in England study.
Breathing difficulty improves with acupuncture on specific points related to the lungs and bronchial tubes as well as on points that support the immune system. Healing the immune system is important in treating breathing issues related to an immune response, such as allergies.
One of the ways that acupuncture is so successful in the treatment of breathing problems is that it relaxes the muscles around the chest wall so that the chest can expand and contract more fully. It also allows for improved dilation of the bronchial tubes so that air moves more freely in and out of the lungs. For this reason, a patient can feel instant relief upon one single treatment. But far beyond its relaxation effects, acupuncture clears and heals the energy systems that support healthy lung and bronchial tube function to improve breathing on a more permanent basis and allow for free, unobstructed breathing.