Respiratory System Disorders and Therapy From a New - Louis Bolk ...

indications, such as chronic pain syndromes and nausea and vomiting; less researched
indications, such as sleeping problems and addiction; and barely researched indications
for which there is no proof. Asthma, COPD, and pneumonia are examples of this last
group. There are just a few large well-designed studies on the safety and efficacy of
acupuncture for asthma and pneumonia. (McCarney et al 2004; Martin et al 2002).
Moreover, many studies use different acupuncture techniques and are often too small to
draw clear conclusions. In order to learn about the true value of acupuncture for asthma
and related diseases, larger studies will be needed. There are, however, a number of
botanical preparations based on the Chinese ayurvedic herbal tradition within TCM that
have been used successfully for allergic conditions.
Anthroposophic Medicine combines the use of regular medication with natural medicines
and specialized therapies. Treatment is individualized and addresses both the acute
condition and the ‘constitution’ of the patient. Some thorough studies were done recently
on the quality of anthroposophic medicine (Ritchie et al 2001; Scheel-Sailer 2003; Arman
et al 2001). Studies have been published on the effectiveness of anthroposophic treatment
in chronic disease in general (Hamre et al 2004a; Sommer 2005; Kienle et al 2006; Hamre
et al 2007a; Hamre et al 2008), in asthma (references see below), pneumonia (references
below), and in acute upper respiratory disease (references below). Several handbooks
describe the treatment of respiratory disease and its background (Soldner et al 2007;
Fintelmann 2007; Schönau et al 2005). The specialized therapies include specialized
physiotherapy, art therapy, music therapy, eurythmy therapy, and external applications.
They can be used in respiratory disease as indicated below. Medications made from
potentially poisonous compounds are potentized through rhythmic dilution (Nani et al
2007; Rhigetti et al 2007; Witt et al 2007), non-poisonous substances are sometimes
used as an extract, sometimes in potentized form.
Homeopathic medication can be given as support along with other treatments during
an acute asthma attack or pneumonia. During an acute treatment, clinical homeopathy
is generally used (see homeopathic methods in the appendix). Homeopathic medication
is only to a limited degree available in pharmacies. It can therefore be useful to have the
essential acute medications on hand in, for example, the C30 potency.
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