Three Alternative Asthma Treatments

Three Alternative Asthma Treatments

More research is still needed to determine just how effective they are, but acupuncture, chiropractic treatment and herbal remedies are a few complementary and alternative asthma treatments.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture involves the insertion of thin needles to various depths at strategic points on your body. It originated in China thousands of years ago, but over the past two decades its popularity has grown significantly in other parts of the world. While some evidence suggests that asthma symptoms improve with acupuncture treatment, theres still not enough solid evidence to be certain it helps.

Chiropractic treatment

Although some claim that these treatments help, theres no solid evidence that physical manipulation of the spine or muscles, such as massage therapy or chiropractic treatments, helps with asthma symptoms.

Herbal remedies

Herbal remedies, including butterbur, ginkgo extract and dried ivy have been tried to help with asthma symptoms. But studies are unclear about the benefit of these or other herbal treatments for asthma. Herbal remedies can cause unwanted side effects and interact with prescription medications and they may not contain consistent doses and may contain harmful substances. Always talk to your doctor before trying any herbal remedy.