Welcome to the Asthma Clinic!

Thank you for visiting our website. The Breathe Easy Naturally - Asthma Clinic’s were developed to provide an effective treatment for those suffering from asthma and to meet the demands of the growing number of people suffering from this condition worldwide. As a group we are a community of complementary medicine clinics and schools who specialize in the treatment of asthma. Our clinics offer a variety of services including acupuncture, Chinese Herbal medicine, and dietary/lifestyle counselling. These forms of medicine have a long and successful history of treating asthma effectively. This empirical success of these therapies have also been supported by modern research and our own clinical experience. Our services are used by both adults and children and can be used in conjunction and often as an alternative to an individual’s current asthma medication. The treatments we provide are customized to manage and treat all types of asthma including: allergic, exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), reactive airway disease (i.e. asthma that only occurs during colds) and miscellaneous types (heartburn or reflux asthma and stress induced asthma).

All practitioners working at our clinic’s have completed post-graduate training in the treatment of asthma using Traditional Chinese Medicine. As a group we are committed to improving and maintaining high standards of care in the area of respiratory health with complimentary medicine and also sharing this wealth of knowledge with others to help improve the health of the society in which we live.

On the Rise

There has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of asthma in the late twentieth century and it is now the most common serious chronic illness in children. Nine percent of US children below 18 years of age had asthma in 2001, compared with just 3.6% in 1980. In addition, 8% of the Swiss population suffers from asthma today, compared with just 2% some 25–30 years ago. Other reports, suggest that the incidence of asthma in Western Europe has doubled in the last ten years. READ MORE

Does Modern Medicine Treat Asthma Effectively?

According to modern medical research (Canada, U.S.A.) the majority of adult’s and children’s asthma is NOT under control! Poorly controlled asthma leads to an increase in asthmatic symptoms during the day and night, absenteeism (i.e. school or social engagements), exacerbations (i.e. more frequent acute attacks), an increased need for 'rescue' medication and a lower tolerance for physical activity. Poorly controlled asthma is a burden to the asthma sufferers and their family as well as healthcare systems as these patients are more likely to require urgent care and hospitalization. Although statistics show that more than 50% of these children are suffering with poorly controlled asthma, 88% of parents continue to believe their child's asthma is controlled 'very well'. Moreover, 77% of general physicians and 90% of specialists surveyed also believe their asthma patients are optimally controlled even though statistics demonstrate otherwise. Ultimately, improperly treated asthma may lead to a lifetime of asthma.

Asthma and TCM

Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM] is a form of Asian medicine that is the oldest and second largest medical system in the world today. TCM is currently used by 1/4 of the entire world's population in over 90 different countries. TCM is a noninvasive healing modality that facilitates the body's natural ability to heal itself by restoring harmony and balance to the entire individual. This time-tested professional medicine treats and assesses each person as an individual therefore treating the cause of the disease instead of just the symptoms.

The current TCM approach to the treatment of asthma was first discussed in great detail by a famous TCM doctor named Zhu Dan-xi (approximately 600 years ago). Since this time, the treatment of this disease has been refined and improved upon by many generations of Chinese doctors. The most important modalities used in the treatment of asthma with TCM are Chinese Herbal Medicine, acupuncture and dietary therapy.

As mentioned above Chinese medicine has much to offer in the treatment of this disease. Recently a doctor from China living in the US completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled study which was published in the September 2005 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. This doctor demonstrated the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of asthma with less side-effects then modern medicine. Please click here for more specific details of this study.