Acupuncture for chronic persistent asthma based on the theory of Meridian-viscera Association: study protocol for a multi-center randomized controlled trial in China

Abstract

Background Acupuncture is effective in symptom and quality of life improvement of chronic asthma, but the efficacy differences between different acupoints are uncertain. In terms of the theory of Meridian-viscera Association, the study aims to investigate the different effectiveness between acupoints in Lung meridian and the acupoints in Heart meridian, so as to provide the evidence to develop a better prescription of the acupuncture treatment of chronic persistent asthma. Methods This study is a multicentral randomized controlled trial. A total of 68 chronic persistent asthma patients will be randomly allocated into two groups: the Lung meridian group and the Heart meridian group. This trial will include a 2-week baseline period, a 4-week treatment period with 12 sessions’ acupuncture, and an 8-week follow-up period. The primary outcome is the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). Secondary outcomes are the Asthma Control Test (ACT), Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF), and Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 s (FEV1). The AQLQ and ACT will be collected at baseline, week 4, week 8, and week 12 after randomization. PEF, FEV1, the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) will be assessed at baseline and week 4. Discussion The results will provide evidence for acupuncture prescription selection and the clinical efficacy improvement. The results of this trial will also be used to determine whether or not a full definitive trial will go ahead, which will further confirm the theory of Meridian-viscera Association. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=43803) ChiCTR1900027284. Registered on 7 November 2019

Efficacy of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Review

“…Acupuncture is widely accepted by both patients and specialists in various related fields and is commonly used to treat a wide range of conditions, including low back pain, arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, asthma, alcohol and substance dependence, and other mental disorders. Acupuncture is also widely recognized in many Western countries as a complementary therapy (22,23).…”

DataSheet1.PDF

“…① The acupuncture treatments in both groups will be performed by the same acupuncturist with 10 years of clinical experience throughout the study, the room temperature will be kept 25°C and other influencing factors are prevented to avoid bias [8]. ② Before undergoing acupuncture, patients will be asked to lie in the supine position in a quiet environment [46]. Q11.…”