Acupuncture Combined With Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Are There Additional Benefits?

The Impact of Acupuncture as an Adjunct to Pulmonary Rehabilitation

The hypothesis of this study was that acupuncture in conjunction with standard care of pulmonary rehabilitation improves outcome measures compared to pulmonary rehabilitation alone.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation is recognized as a pivotal component in International Guidelines for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In patients with COPD, clinical research using acupuncture has reported a significant reduction in the use of medications, decrease breathlessness and increased functional capacity. To our knowledge, this is the first time that these two treatments were combined to compare functional, physiological, biological and emotional/QOL outcomes in this cohort of patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• A diagnosis of COPD based on the GOLD staging of the disease
• Medical Research Council Score of 3 or Above
• Ability of mobilize independently
• Motivated to exercise independently

Exclusion Criteria:

• No evidence of COPD on spirometry
• Acute exacerbation within 4-6 weeks
• Evidence of Ischemic Heat Disease/acute changes on ECG
• Uncontrolled hypertension
• Insulin dependent diabetic
• Inability to exercise independently or musculoskeletal/neurological conditions which would prevent completion of the course
• Fear of needles
• Lung Cancer
• Previous attendance at pulmonary rehabilitation