Issue 36

Procedure Performed at MWA by Emma McGowan, M.D.

& Martin Gallagher, M.D.
 

Acupuncture in the Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

                       
In a randomized controlled trial involving 68 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) receiving standard medication, acupuncture was found to be an effective adjunctive treatment for the reduction of dyspnea on exertion (DOE). Subjects received either traditional acupuncture (n=34) or placebo needling (n=34) at the same acupuncture points, once a week, for 12 weeks. Results found that after 12 weeks, subjects in the traditional acupuncture group performed a 6-minute walk test with higher Borg scale scores, better exercise tolerance and reduced DOE, as compared to subjects in the placebo group. Findings indicate that acupuncture may be effective in reducing DOE in patents with COPD.

"A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of acupuncture in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): the COPD-acupuncture trial (CAT)," Suzuki M, Muro S, et al, Arch Intern Med, 2012 Jun 11; 172(11):878-86. (Address: M Suzuki, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ).