Asthma in Wokingham, Berkshire

Asthma is a long-term condition of the airways that requires conventional medical management. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine cannot replace that care — but, used alongside it, they may help some people reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms, support general respiratory health and address the triggers and run-down states that make attacks more likely.

Important: never stop or reduce your asthma inhalers or other prescribed medication except on the advice of your GP or respiratory team. Asthma can be life-threatening. This page describes a complementary approach, not an alternative one.

On this page

1. What is asthma?
2. Conventional asthma care comes first
3. Asthma in traditional Chinese medicine
4. Chinese herbal medicine for asthma
5. Acupuncture for asthma
6. Self-care and triggers
7. When to seek urgent help
8. Commonly asked questions

1. What is asthma?

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the airways. In people with asthma the airways are persistently sensitive and inflamed, and on exposure to a trigger they narrow further — the muscle around them tightens, the lining swells and produces mucus. This causes the familiar symptoms: wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing, often worse at night or early in the morning.

Asthma varies widely. For some it is mild and intermittent; for others it is persistent and significantly limits daily life. Common triggers include respiratory infections, allergens (pollen, dust mites, animal dander), cold air, exercise, air pollution, smoke, stress and certain medications. It frequently coexists with allergies and hay fever.

2. Conventional asthma care comes first

Asthma is managed very effectively by modern medicine, and conventional care must always be the foundation of treatment. Preventer (steroid) inhalers reduce the underlying airway inflammation; reliever inhalers open the airways during symptoms; and a personalised asthma action plan sets out what to do as symptoms change. Used correctly, these keep the great majority of people with asthma well.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are complementary to this — they sit alongside your inhalers and your respiratory team, never in place of them. If you choose to explore Chinese medicine for asthma, please keep your GP informed, continue your prescribed medication, and never adjust it without medical advice. Any reduction in medication should only ever follow from improvement assessed and agreed by your doctor.

3. Asthma in traditional Chinese medicine

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), asthma falls within the patterns of wheezing and breathlessness. A central principle is the distinction between the acute (attack) phase and the stable (remission) phase — and they are treated quite differently.

During an attack, treatment addresses the “branch”: resolving Phlegm and restoring the normal downward movement of Lung qi. TCM distinguishes Cold-Phlegm patterns (thin, white sputum, worse with cold) from Hot-Phlegm patterns (thick, yellow sputum, a feeling of heat).

Between attacks, treatment addresses the “root”: the underlying weakness that allows asthma to take hold. This usually involves the Lung, the Spleen and the Kidney — the Lung governs the breath, the Spleen is the source of Phlegm when it is weak, and the Kidney is said to “grasp” the qi and anchor the breath. Strengthening these organ systems in the stable phase is where TCM aims to make the most difference, with the goal of reducing how often and how severely attacks occur.

4. Chinese herbal medicine for asthma

Chinese herbal medicine has a long history of use for wheezing and breathlessness, and the management of asthma with herbs has attracted modern research interest, including studies of standardised anti-asthma herbal formulas. Formulas are selected to match the individual pattern — warming and transforming Cold-Phlegm, or clearing Hot-Phlegm, during symptomatic periods; and tonifying Lung, Spleen and Kidney qi during the stable phase.

Herbs are prescribed only after a full consultation, are tailored to the individual, and must be used alongside — not instead of — conventional medication. It is essential to tell your medical team about any herbs you take, and to tell your Chinese herbalist about all your medication, so that treatment is safe and properly coordinated. The herbs prescribed are pharmaceutical-grade granules from Sun Ten in Taiwan.

5. Acupuncture for asthma

Acupuncture is used in TCM as a supportive treatment for asthma. The evidence from clinical trials is mixed, and acupuncture should not be expected to replace inhaler therapy or to control an acute attack. Where patients find it helpful, it is generally in the stable phase — supporting Lung function, easing the chest tightness and shallow breathing associated with tension, and calming the stress and anxiety that can both trigger and accompany asthma. Acupuncture's well-documented effects on the autonomic nervous system and on inflammation are the proposed mechanisms.

Treatment is always individualised following a full TCM assessment, and is offered as one part of an overall approach that keeps conventional asthma care firmly at its centre.

6. Self-care and triggers

Much of living well with asthma is about identifying and reducing triggers and supporting general health:

• Use your preventer inhaler as prescribed, even when you feel well, and carry your reliever.
• Learn and follow your personalised asthma action plan; attend your asthma reviews.
• Identify your triggers — allergens, cold air, smoke, pollution — and reduce exposure where you can.
• Treat hay fever and allergies, which often worsen asthma.
• Keep active — well-controlled asthma should not stop exercise; warm up gradually.
• Manage stress: breathing practices and gentle qi gong or tai chi can help breathing control and reduce tension.
• Don't smoke, and avoid second-hand smoke.

7. When to seek urgent help

Asthma can be serious. Seek urgent medical help — and follow your asthma action plan — if your reliever inhaler is not helping, if you are too breathless to speak in full sentences, eat or sleep, if your breathing is getting faster, or if your symptoms are worsening quickly. A severe asthma attack is a medical emergency: call 999 if you or someone else is struggling to breathe. Never delay emergency care to try any other approach.

8. Commonly asked questions about asthma

Can acupuncture or Chinese herbs cure asthma?

No. Asthma is a long-term condition and there is no cure — conventional or otherwise. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are used as complementary support, with the realistic aim of helping some people reduce how often and how severely symptoms occur, alongside their usual medical care.

Can I stop my inhaler if Chinese medicine helps?

Never stop or reduce your inhalers on your own. If your asthma improves, any change to your medication must be assessed and agreed by your GP or respiratory team. Stopping a preventer inhaler can allow dangerous airway inflammation to return silently.

Is it safe to use Chinese herbs with my asthma medication?

It must be done carefully. Always tell your GP about any herbs you take, and tell your Chinese herbalist about every medication you use, so that treatment is coordinated and safe. Herbs are prescribed only after a full consultation by a qualified practitioner.

Can Chinese medicine help an asthma attack?

No — an acute asthma attack must be managed with your reliever inhaler and your action plan, and with emergency care if it is severe. Chinese medicine is only ever used in the stable phase as supportive treatment, never to manage an attack.

References

• NHS. Asthma.
• Liu F, et al. (2019) Chinese herbal medicine for the management of asthma — review of clinical and mechanistic research.
• McCarney RW, Brinkhaus B, Lasserson TJ, Linde K. Acupuncture for chronic asthma. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Prefer to be treated from home? Chinese herbal medicine online consultations are available throughout the UK and worldwide. After a full video consultation, Dr (TCM) Attilio D'Alberto formulates a bespoke herbal prescription and posts your Chinese herbs directly to your door.