“Try these herbs. They helped my sister stay out of the hospital…”
“Have you heard of the Buteyko technique?”
“You don’t need medicines. You need acupuncture…”
“Are you taking vitamin C?”
“You ought to try homeopathy instead.”

Advice. Brace yourself for an avalanche of it, the minute your asthma goes public. You may even go looking for it yourself — as you should. Asthma education is one of the four components of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. Whether from your own research, from your health care provider, or from well-meaning friends, you’re going to hear a lot about alternative therapy and complementary care.

What’s the difference between alternative and complementary care?

Because “alternative” care and “complementary” care are often used interchangeably, the distinction can seem unclear. Both words describe a treatment that may help you and which will do you no harm when used correctly. But alternative care is often thought of as a substitute for standard Western medicine, while complementary care is used in addition to standard Western medicine. In other words, complementary care for asthma supports (or complements) your asthma management plan. It doesn’t replace your plan.

Complementary care for asthma includes vitamins and supplements, timed breathing techniques (like yoga or Tai Chi), or massage to relieve muscle strain and stress. Other people may try prayer, hypnosis, meditation, herbal remedies, or acupuncture. Used in place of a traditional asthma management plan, some of these treatments could be dangerous. Many of them — with your health care provider’s knowledge and in addition to a medical asthma management plan — may be safe and helpful.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM, part of the National Institutes of Health) offers some guidelines for choosing complementary care. Before seeking complementary care, review the NCCAM list. And talk to your health care provider before you try complementary care. Your doctor can tell you if it is a safe practice, and may offer other complementary care solutions that could help you.

1. Safety: a safe product (or practice) does no harm when used as intended

• Ask your regular health care provider whether the treatment is harmful.
• Confirm safety information with a credible source. You can find scientific research results online, at university and medical school libraries, and at some public libraries.

2. Effectiveness: the likelihood that you will benefit from the treatment

• Be an informed consumer. Review information you are provided carefully, and understand exactly what the treatment can do for you.
• Ask for the names and phone numbers of others who have tried the treatment. Call and ask about their experiences.

3. Expertise: the qualification and training needed for good results

• Choose a practitioner with qualifications that can be checked. Many therapies also have their own regulatory agencies (licensing boards, for example).
• Ask the practitioner about his or her training, licensing, and membership in professional organizations.

4. Service delivery: a treatment environment or product that appears safe and professional

• Visit the practitioner’s office. Does it have a clean, professional appearance?
• Look at product packaging. Are the contents labeled? Are instructions for preparation and use included? Do instructions include safety and side effect information?

5. Cost: can you afford the treatment?

• Most insurance plans do not cover complementary care, so understand that you may need to pay out-of-pocket.

6. Communication: the exchange of information between you and your health care providers

• Be aware that any product you ingest through your mouth or nose (nasal wash, herb capsules, vitamins, tea), or that you spread on your skin (lotions, oils) may affect your asthma medication.
• Your regular health care provider needs to know about complementary care products and therapies before you start using them. Ideally, your complementary care provider and your doctor will be in touch with each other.
• Ask your doctor for a professional opinion. He or she may not agree that a treatment can help, but at least you can learn whether it may do harm.
• Provide your doctor with complete information on any treatment or therapy you decide to use before you use it. Be sure to include how often you expect to use it.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 1st, 2007 at 5:41 am and is filed under Adult Asthma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.