Cupping, moxibustion, herbal medicine, and acupuncture have been shown to work in the treatment of asthma. Continuing education acupuncture researchers from Chengde Municipality Agency of Sanitation and Zinglong County Hebei Hospital examined two separate strategies of patient care. The study group was treated with a combo of herbal medicine, moxibustion, cupping, and acupuncture while the other group was only treated with acupuncture. Cupping is a clinical technique involving the use of suction cups applied to the skin surface of the skin applied in order to generate health benefits. Moxa or Moxibustion is the healing art of burning medical herbs near the skin surface to generate a warming healing effect on the body. Both groups manifested meaningful improvements, but the group that was treated with a combination of TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments exhibited far better clinical results. Because of this, the researchers concluded that a combination of herbal medicine, moxibustion, cupping, and acupuncture had more superior benefits than acupuncture alone.
Another study investigated the effectiveness of herbal medicine, moxibustion, cupping, and acupuncture in people suffering from chronic asthma. A total of 110 chronic asthma patients participated and were divided randomly and equally into two groups. The first group was treated with herbal medicine, moxibustion, cupping, and acupuncture while the second group was just treated with acupuncture. The group that received combo the treatment of cupping, moxibustion, herbs, and acupuncture had a total rate of effectiveness of 98 percent while the total rate of effectiveness of the acupuncture only group was 58 percent.
The first group received acupuncture stimulation at the Bl 11, Bl 12 and Bl 13 acupoints. After an acupuncture treatment session, the bleeding method along with cupping was administered to enable two to five ml of blood to come out of the acupoints.
The second group was needled at the St 36, Hua Tuo’s paravertebral point, Bl 12, Bl 13, and Bl 11 acupuncture points. Acupuncture therapy was administered once a day with even reducing and reinforcing manual manipulation procedures. The needles were stuck into the patients’ skin for about thirty minutes. One treatment course was made up of ten days and after each course of care there was a 2-day break. The results of the patients were evaluated after the end of the three courses of treatment.
The treatment was administered once a day. A unique external herbal treatment was done on the Kl 1, Ex-HN 15, Bl 13, and EX-B1 acupuncture points. The substances used in the external herbal treatment included Pinellia Rhizome, White Mustard Seed, Cocklebur Fruit, Ephedra, Dried Cinammon Bark, and Sparrow faeces. The herbs were finely pulverized and made into rationseach weighing about 2 mg. Moxibustion was administered for ten minute to the same acupoints after herbal treatment. The therapy was administered for ten days once a day which make up of one course of care. After 30 days, the results of the study were thoroughly assessed.
The total rate of effectiveness and overall rate of cure for the first group (treated with cupping, moxibustion, herbs, and acupuncture) and the second group (the group that only received acupuncture) was 58 percent and 18 percent respectively. The total rate of effectiveness and overall rate of cure for the first and second group was 98 percent and 78 percent respectively. Researchers concluded that a treatment that combines herbs, cupping, moxibustion and acupuncture was superior to standalone acupuncture in treating chronic asthma based on the results of their study.