Clinical Assessment of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Chronic Asthma
Condition: Asthma
MeSH terms: Asthma
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to assess whether acupuncture is effective in the treatment of
      chronic asthma.
    

Detailed description: 
      Asthma is a common chronic disease worldwide with an estimated 300 million affected
      individuals. In analyses of economic burden of asthma, apart from direct medical costs
      including hospital admissions and cost of medications, indirect, non-medical costs such as
      time lost from work account for a considerable part. For all but the most severe patients,
      the ultimate goal is to prevent symptoms, minimize morbidity from acute episodes, and prevent
      functional and psychological morbidity to provide a near healthy lifestyle. Although the
      symptoms can be controlled by drug treatment in most patients, effective low-risk, non-drug
      approaches such as acupuncture could constitute a significant advance in asthma management.
      The purpose of this study is to assess whether acupuncture is effective in the treatment of
      chronic asthma.

      There is a 1-week screening period(-1 week) during which participants will be monitored while
      they use an albuterol inhaler as needed. Study visits will occur at weeks 0(Baseline), weeks
      3, weeks 6. Participants will undergo a physical examination, lung function, blood and urine
      collection. At the Weeks 0 study visit, participants will be randomly assigned to one of the
      following two groups for 6 weeks of treatment:

        -  Group 1 will receive verum acupuncture treatment once every two days plus albuterol as
           needed, prednisone for exacerbation

        -  Group 2 will receive sham acupuncture treatment once every two days plus albuterol as
           needed, prednisone for exacerbation

      Study visits will occur at Weeks 0, 3, 6. A physical examination, blood collection, and lung
      function will occur at selected visits. Questionnaires to assess asthma control and quality
      of life will also be completed. Throughout the study, participants will record asthma
      symptoms and medication usage in a daily diary.
    

Intervention name(s): Verum acupuncture; Sham acupuncture
Intervention type(s): Device; Device
Intervention description(s): 100 patients receive verum acupuncture treatment once every other day,choosing Dazhui(GV14), Fengmen(BL12), Feishu(BL13), needles retention for 30 minutes and no moxibustion or electrical stimulation. Patients receive verum acupuncture once every other day with a total of 20 sessions in 6 weeks. The needle brand is Hwato®™ Sterile Acupuncture Needles for Single Use.; 100 patients receive sham acupuncture treatment once every other day, choosing Jinsuo(DU08), Ganshu(BL18), Danshu(BL19), needles retention for 30 minutes and no moxibustion or electrical stimulation. Patients receive sham acupuncture once every other day with a total of 20 sessions in 6 weeks. The needle brand is Hwato®™ Sterile Acupuncture Needles for Single Use.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Efficacy; Acupuncture; Asthma