Akupunktur bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit Asthma bronchiale: Eine randomisierte kontrollierte Studie

Abstract

Background During rehabilitation children and adolescents with bronchial asthma suffer from physical and mental stress in spite of receiving their asthma medication, or demonstrate poor therapy compliance. The randomized controlled trial evaluates the effectiveness of acupuncture in the course of inpatient rehabilitation of children and adolescents with mild to severe persistent bronchial asthma. Patients and methods In a longitudinal study design (pre-, post-, 4 month-follow-up) the effects of additional acupuncture on symptom frequency and severity, lung function, medication, quality of life (PAQLQ), general and asthma specific level of anxiety (STAIK) were examined in 43 acupuncture and 42 control patients. Apart from asthma sport, climate therapy and behavioural training, the acupuncture group was given acupuncture treatment according to a standardized needle pattern (12 × 30′). Results After acupuncture the frequency of morning breathlessness and inhalation difficulty decreased significantly (p < .05) with equal or reduced medication. Patients treated with acupuncture also showed a tendency towards reduced anxiety levels . Patients of the acupuncture group with moderately persistent asthma demonstrated an additional decline of workload-induced obstruction (FEV 1 Diff. %). Conclusion Add-on acupuncture was able to achieve significant improvements in lung function, especially in severe asthma, as well as a sustained reduction of anxiety scores.