Alternative Asthma Treatment

I would not ever use chiro or acupuncture for asthma. I will tell you that I am sometimes able to alleviate very mild asthma symptoms (both for myself and my son) by drinking hot caffeinated tea or coffee. I only do this with a very mild flare and as a way for both of us to avoid the jitteriness from albuterol. I also make sure to have a scarf around my son's mouth when it is cold out and make sure that the house does not get too cold at night. I have been on prednisone a couple of times and I do understand your feelings about wanting to avoid it. It is not a pleasant experience. But asthma is a very serious illness and you need to follow your doctor's recommendations.

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I have two asthmatic children and the thing that I dont like that they give my children is the prednisone which is a steroids for the lungs. I would advise you to reconsider not taking him off these medications asthma really hurts their chest. Your child is extremely at risk for RSV which both of my children had twice and it is usually a week stay in the hospital. I think alot of times that maybe doctors overly medicate children but this is not the case it is dealing with their breathing. I have never heard of using chiro or acupuncture for asthma but I hope you and your little guy find what works for your situation.

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I have not used it personally, but have been reading about NAET, which you may also want to look into.

I would do dairy-free and maybe gluten-free and see about doing muscle-testing or nutritional response testing to see what, in his environment, he is reacting/responding to with the asthma. I would go "green" with you home as much as possible. Carpets, drapery, stuffed animals should go immediately, and then as many plastics as possible (especially shopping bags- they are one of the most toxic off-gassing things in our homes.)

I would definitely use any/all alternative therapies your bag of tricks, starting with diet modification, and remember too that sometimes you do have to resort to mainstream meds for serious medical conditions. Keep the "regular" asthma meds with you at all times as you work through the alternative treatments too. Hopefully his reliance on them will decrease.

The prednisolone is a rather scary drug that can harm his immune system, so that is the one I would be MOST concerned about if it were my child, FWIW.

M.

PS- you can also try using a compounding pharmacy for his meds, so he is not also ingesting all the chemical additives.

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Depending on his ability to follow your instructions and modeling,
see if you can teach him some breathing exercises.
Just a little bit at a time.
Ask me privately and/or read some books on basic yoga breathing.
In particular, learning how to breathe OUT strongly,
at times when he's not wheezing.
Also, perhaps you live in an area that has air pollution??
Good luck.

My husband is an acupuncturist (sassackacupuncture.com) specializing in asthma and allergies. He has successfully treated many people, including children, but he won't treat children until they are three years old, due to the use of the needles. But I know he does sell a homeopathic medication - not sure what the minimum age is to use that. You could try contacting him or an acupuncturist near you to ask more questions. Good luck!

I'm editing my answer after reading the other responses. Just wanted to point out that responsible acupuncturists (and I'd imagine the same goes for chiro) view treatment as an alternative AND complimentary option. In many cases, especially with life-threatening conditions like asthma, acupuncture can be and should be used in conjunction with western medicine. For example, acupuncture can be used to reduce symptoms and reduce the need for an emergency inhaler, but it's still important to have that emergency inhaler on hand.

Hi F.,
I saw a great acupuncturist in Evanston (Ming Jie Chiang ###-###-####) whose son has asthma and she has treated him since he was little (he's probably about 9 now). As another responder said, she doesn't use needles until they are of a certain age, but she examines kids and recommends Chinese Medicine remedies along with lifestyle changes. She's a nice, intelligent blend of east/west. Not sure if her location is convenient for you, but she might be a good source for a referral or just to get more info from over the phone re: having a child with asthma and the different things you can do to alleviate the issue. Good luck!

Try looking for a licensed chiropractic internist. You should be able to find one in your insurance network. Asthma is an inflammation-based illness so you need to treat the inflammation. Sure, you'll want to keep the Albuterol around in case of emergency but you should be able to trade the Singulair for something like an anti-inflammatory diet.

Here is more info about chiropractic internists: http://www.councildid.com/index2.html

I would definitely look into both chiropractic and acupunture for your son. I have asthma (severe in the spring) and had wonderful results with acupuncture in particular. When I was pregnant, I asked my acupuncturist about babies getting acupuncture. He said he doesn't use needles on babies, but instead he applies pressure using his hands. Asthma is an immune system failure, and acupunture works to correct imbalances in the body. It can't hurt, might as well give it a try! I would also ask your pediatrician--I'm finding more and more medical doctors are opening their eyes to alternative treatments and are surprisingly agreeable to using acupuncture or chiropractic in conjunction with medicines.

Getting rid of carpeting helps. As for stuffed animals - wash them frequently.
Asthma is auto-immune. They've found that a lot of kids with asthma have dietary deficiencies - like "C" and "D". You really want to keep the inflammation down. The singulair is like a super anti-histamine. One natural remedy for the inflammation in the lungs is oregano oil - you put it under their tongue and super doses of vitamin "C". You have to purchase pharmaceutical quality products. Find a naturpathic person in your area.

My friend's children have asthma. She eliminated wheat and dairy from their diet (along with processed food) and has seen a tremendous improvement. They no longer have attacks and do not need medication.
Good luck!

I agree with Manda R. Try eliminating dairy, getting rid of carpet, stuffed animals, get a humidifier (but don't over-do it), clean the furnace filter, etc. I've had asthma 28 of my 30 years & did try acupuncture for it as a child. It didn't "cure" me, but aleviated some discomfort. My symptoms are much more controlled as an adult now, but if I was having issues, I'd go back to acupuncture (or chiro, too). Many acu's & chiro's have a specific plan to treat asthma, so call around. Keep in mind, your insurance may not cover it. I'd definitely give it a try, though.

Asthma is usually the symptom of a lot of different conditions combined so that the system is overloaded. So it is important to have all of your body 'in line' to assist you in fighting this. I have been symptom free (except for a few 'mild' flareup- from peoples inside animals) for the past year! I wouldn't recommend getting rid of all medication and them going to a chiro or acupuncturist to 'see' if that works. Why not have your child treated by them, and as this becomes effective, you can start eliminating the meds? Make sure that the rest of your household is irritant free- no smoke, no chemical cleaners, no chemical hair and bath products- the rest of the household may have to go perfume free for a while, also one of the biggest triggers for me was fabric softner, and some laundry detergents. I was able to free my home of all of these chemicals, and I now help others to improve their health and that of their family! My nephew has now been med and inhaler free for 3 months, after just 2 months of non toxic laundry care! My point is, as long as the irritants are still in his life, no alternative routes will work- but in trying to get him off of the meds-long term- myself, I was willing to try any means- as long as it could only make me healthier.

hugs and wishing the best for your son!
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