Studies Support Use of Acupuncture in
Respiratory and Gastrointestinal Disorders

A recent study, reported in The Journal of Palliative Medicine, reported that acupuncture reduced breathlessness and anxiety for at least six hours after treatment in 70% of those patients studied who were suffering from cancer-related respiratory trouble. A separate Danish study on asthmatics reported that patients studied experience a 22% increase in airflow and a 50% reduction in their need for broncho-dilatory drugs within two weeks of beginning acupuncture treatment.

A recent paper published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology analyzed all controlled studies of acupuncture in the treatment of various gastrointestinal disorders that have been reported in English-language and Chinese literature. The authors of the paper concluded that "there is strong evidence to support the regulatory effect of acupuncture on several gastrointestinal functions, including motility, electrical activity, and secretion."