Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine and is widely used for the treatment of chronic illnesses, including asthma. The theory behind the use of acupuncture is to restore the balance of ‘‘vital flows’’ by inserting needles at exact points of the body surface, where the ‘‘meridians’’ of these flows lie.

There is insufficient evidence to make recommendations about the value of acupuncture as a treatment for asthma or rhinitis based on current evidence. Although there are some studies showing a positive effect of acupuncture for these conditions, some compared to “sham” acupuncture, taken together the results of the studies are not unequivocal. The advantage of acupuncture is that apart from the minor local discomfort it bears no side effects.

As stated for other complementary medicines, we strongly recommend that you discuss with the therapist the following issues before deciding to continue:

• What training, qualifications and experience does your therapist have
• Ask if he/she is registered in any official organization
• What treatment will be recommended
•  What benefits can be expected and which side effects may occur
• Ask for written information to forward to your physicians
• Ask if you may continue to use conventional medication
• Ask for an estimation of the number of sessions, length of treatment and the economic costs