Asthma is a chronic disease that is caused by inflammation in the lungs, resulting in breathing difficulties. In Western medicine, asthma has been traditionally treated by suppressing its symptoms with chemically-derived medications. Increasingly, doctors are integrating Eastern medicine into holistic treatments for asthma. Key to a holistic approach is treating the whole person, including the emotions, mental attitudes and spirituality of the individual. This complementary approach blends traditional medicine with prevention techniques and lifestyle changes.
Herbal Remedies
Asthma has been treated successfully by herbal remedies for thousands of years. In the last 10 years, Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic herbal remedies for asthma have become more accepted by Western doctors. For example, in an article published by the journal "Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology" in May 2003, reported that the traditional Chinese herbal blend known as Ja Wai San Zi Tang is just as effective in opening airways and improving breathing conditions as dexamethasone, a common Western treatment.
Homeopathy
Homeopathic remedies are also becoming more accepted in Western culture. Homeopathy, in contrast to allopathic medicine, considers symptoms not as problems to be eradicated, but rather as helpful indicators that the immune system is under stress. To the homeopathic doctor, the emotional state of the asthma sufferer is as important to the homeopathic doctor as physical symptoms of the condition. In this way, much of homeopathic medicine is designed to help the body cope with stress. For instance, the University of Michigan Health System cites Chamomilla, Nux vomica, and Pulsatilla as three remedies that can reduce distress during asthma attacks, depending on if the sufferer is hypersensitive, irritable or emotional and needing comfort.
Meditation
Another well-cited, but controversial, technique for treating the emotional aspects of asthma is meditation. Contrary to popular thought, meditation can be performed without believing in a new religion. The core of most meditation practices is an easy-to-learn set of breathing practices and focusing exercises. Current research published by the "British Medical Journal" in May 2003 suggests that previous research about the health claims of meditation is biased. Nonetheless, researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, concede that meditation has some usefulness for conditions that are greatly affected by reducing stress. Asthma is indeed one of these conditions, but more research is needed to strengthen this medical claim.
Yoga
The practice of yoga has some research support in preventing asthma. As reported by Forbes Magazine in May 2009, researchers from the New York University School of Medicine found that Hatha yoga poses improved asthma symptoms in their test subjects by 43 percent. Researchers suggest that yoga is helpful for asthmatics because yoga encourages awareness of breathing. By developing a more attuned sense of breathing, asthma sufferers may be able to prevent symptoms earlier and take additional precautions when confronted with asthmatic triggers.
All of these holistic treatments are not meant to replace traditional medicine, but rather to complement the Western focus on symptoms with a respect for the whole person: body, mind, and soul.
