Living With Asthma: Alternative Treatment Options

If you have asthma, your doctor has likely prescribed you with the conventional asthma treatments available such as inhalers, nebulizer treatments, and maybe even a round of steroids to open the bronchial tubes by reducing inflammation. However, you may be looking for other remedies to complement you conventional asthma treatments.

Traditional Approach to Asthma And Alternatives

Being diagnosed with asthma can make you feel like you have inherent limitations put on your life. Physical over-exertion, stress, emotional distress, and even exposure to certain allergens are known asthma triggers, and you are told you should avoid these to limit your asthma symptoms and reduce the frequency of attacks. Prolonged steroid treatments to reduce bronchial inflammation are not only ill-advised, but could result in other health problems such as bone loss, damage to the eyes, and stomach troubles.

Acupuncture

The ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat maladies, disorders and illnesses of the mind and the body. It works under the theory that the body functions based on the flow of energy (known as qi) throughout the body. 

The body and mind remain healthy as long as the qi is flowing properly throughout the body. When qi energies become blocked or disrupted, however, people develop chronic illnesses or ailments that continue until the balance of energy flows is restored. 

This balance is restored by an acupuncturist inserting tiny needles into designated energy points throughout the body. These acupuncture needles are designed to remove any blockages and restore energy flow and balance to the body. 

In the case of asthma, acupuncture can be used to stimulate proper energy flow to the lungs and respiratory system. Additionally, acupuncture is known to relax the patients who undergo treatment. Relaxation helps to relieve chest tension and and can help asthmatic patients breath easier.

Massage Therapy

Another useful alternative treatment for asthma is massage therapy. Once again, this treatment works primarily as a tool for relaxation. When the mind and body are relaxed, the likelihood of having a severe asthma attack is greatly reduced. 

When you tell your massage therapist that you suffer from asthma, they will focus their treatments on body regions such as your rib cage and neck. These are the primary areas that carry the tensions associated with asthma attacks. By relieving tension that you carry regularly in these areas, you reduce your chances of having an asthma attack.

Additionally, because you have asthma, you may have anxiety about your breathing and lungs much of the time. Unfortunately, this preoccupation and worry can actually contribute to causing an asthma attack. Because massage therapy promotes overall relaxation, you can also reduce your stress and anxiety levels further reducing your asthma symptoms.

Alternative treatments can be used to complement conventional asthma treatments affording you a great deal more asthma relief than conventional treatments alone. Living with asthma does not have to limit you as long as you develop a treatment regimen that works for you. For more help, contact a company like Oak Brook Allergists with any questions or concerns you might have.