Atlanta
Acupuncture
Center
275 Carpenter Drive, suite 200, Atlanta, GA. 30328
Tel: 404-250-9903; E-mail: lihua@aac2000.com
Asthma Can Be Helped
By Li Hua, L. Ac.
Asthma is a lung disease that causes obstruction of the
airway. During an asthma attack, spasms in the muscles surrounding the small airways
in the lungs construct, stopping stale air out and fresh air in. The patients
have a kind of feeling that seems almost to drown in the water. Asthma can be
happened in any season of the year. It is usually worse during fall and winter.
Weather changing, pollen, un-fresh air, food allergy, and mood switching, over
working or flu can make asthma active. But the low immunity is the basic cause.
Asthma can be happened among Children, adults and seniors. The common symptoms are coughing,
short or difficult breathing, wheezing, chest congestion, no sweating or
spontaneous sweating, stuffy nose, fatigue and dry lips. These symptoms are generally
worse at night.
I always remember these feelings because I had bronchitis
asthma when I was one and half years old. I stood at the border of life and
death and struggled everyday. It was Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) giving
me the second life. This is also why I want to be a TCM doctor. With working in
clinic for many years, I have tried to make research how help asthma patients
recover quickly. I feel there are three main acupoints are very effective in
treating asthma. They are FeiShu (BL 13), TaiYuan (LU 9) and FengLong (ST 40).
According to the “Five Elements” theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the
earth (spleen) generates the metal (lung). TaiYuan (LU 9) is the earth
acupoints of the lung meridian and is used together with FeiShu (BL 13) led to
tonify the lung. Fenglong (ST40) belongs to the stomach meridian, but it has
the function of relieving cough, stopping asthma and eliminating phlegm. As you
know, acupuncture is a technique to apply needles on the certain acupoints,
which can influence the nerve system, the organs function, endocrine and etc.
It helps people naturally and quickly. It is true, the acupuncture makes people
nervous, especially, makes children scared. But acupuncture needle is as thin
as hair and is applied on the body without pain. If there is pain, the pain
seems like mosquito biting. If children can cooperate, acupuncture is selected.
Otherwise, acupressure or needleless acupuncture can be the substitute.
Some patients may not reinforce their lung function quickly
or may have weak digestion system due to take western medicine. Chinese herbs
are suggested to be used together with acupuncture to get better result. Some
patients may get streak scleroma along the second and the third thoracic vertebrae.
The nerves of controlling the heart and the lung come out from the
intervertebral foramen between the first and fifth thoracic vertebrae. When the
thoracic vertebrae are malposition, the muscle beside of the vertebrae will be
tight to protect the vertebrae. If not take care of it, the muscle along the
second and third thoracic vertebrae may be atrophy and calcific due to abnormal
blood circulation. The intervertebral foramen may become narrower by pressing
to influence the nerves. The function of the heart and the lung may be
decreased. So TuiNa (Chinese medical massage) or cupping is suggested to add on
to get better result.
After recovering from asthma, prevention is recommended. Tai
Chi Qi Gong is one of the best exercises for asthma, which includes gentle body
movement, meditation and breathing exercise. It is proper to improve immunity
and increase energy at this stage. If asthma is often happened in summer, it is
better to have acupuncture or Chinese herbal treatment in wintertime for
prevention. Contrarily, it is better to get acupuncture or Chinese herbal
treatment in summertime if asthma is generally relapsed in winter. Salty, sweet
or spicy food should be controlled. Keep happy and positive mood. Remember
working, but not forget resting. New life is coming.