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Asthma - Management
What complementary therapies are available?
- Evidence is insufficient to recommend herbal and traditional Chinese medicine; acupuncture; ionizers; Alexander technique; homeopathy; hypnosis; manual therapy, including massage and spinal manipulation; physical exercise training; breathing exercises, including yoga and the Buteyko method (the latter may help control the symptoms of asthma); or dietary supplementation with vitamins, minerals, or n-3 fatty acids in the management of asthma [Dennis and Cates, 2000; Markham and Wilkinson, 2004; Hondras et al, 2005].
- Risks associated with some complementary therapies include drug interactions, inconsistent dosing, contamination, and natural toxicity [Arnold et al, 2006].
- People with asthma should not be treated solely with any of the above therapies.
[SIGN and BTS, 2009]
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