Complementary and Alternative Therapies
Reviewed by: HU Medical Review Board | Last Reviewed: May 2022 | Last updated: July 2022
Some natural remedies for asthma include complementary and alternative therapies. These are treatments that are outside mainstream Western medicine. The terms are sometimes used to mean the same thing, but they are different. “Complementary” therapies are used alongside of conventional medicine. “Alternative” therapies are used in place of conventional medicine. Another term, “integrative medicine” means the practice of combining conventional and complementary treatments. The goal of integrative medicine is to improve overall well-being.1
People sometimes use complementary medicine to relieve symptoms of a chronic disease or to treat medication side effects. Some people feel more in control of their health when they use complementary therapies. Complementary approaches include mind-body practices and natural products.1,2,3
People with asthma should be careful when it comes to items or treatments marketed as natural remedies. Few complementary approaches have been proven to help people with asthma. It can be risky to use unproven treatments if they delay necessary medical care.3
What are mind-body practices?
Mind-body therapies bring together the brain, mind, body, and behavior. The goal is to improve health and function through the mind. You can use some mind-body techniques at home. Therapies used for asthma include breath retraining, relaxation techniques, and yoga. Breathing techniques are one of the most popular complementary therapies for asthma.4,5
Relaxation techniques may also lower stress. Stress tends to make asthma worse. A handful of studies have shown some positive results using these techniques. However, the studies are generally small and of poor quality. Poor quality evidence does not mean that the techniques are not good. It just means there is not much information about them.
Among US adults, deep breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation are very popular complementary therapies. About 11 percent of the population practices deep breathing. A little less than 10 percent does yoga, and 8 percent meditates.2
Other mind-body procedures used for asthma are done by a trained practitioner. These include breathing muscle training and acupuncture. However, acupuncture has not been proven to be beneficial for asthma. Therefore, it is not recommended.6
What are natural products?
Natural remedies for asthma include herbs, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. Dietary supplements are the most popular complementary therapy used by US adults. About 18% of the population uses dietary supplements.2
Some people use herbal remedies for their asthma symptoms. These remedies have a long history of use in Asian traditional medicine. There are very few high-quality studies of natural, herbal remedies, and too little information to recommend them for asthma. There is a risk that the ingredients in herbal remedies could cause a reaction or dangerous side effects.6
Vitamin A, C, and E supplements and omega-3 supplements are sometimes used for asthma. Studies of these supplements have been generally disappointing. However, there is a link between eating a healthy diet and improvements in asthma.
Who uses natural remedies for asthma?
A recent survey showed that one-third of US adults used a complementary therapy in the past year. About 20 to 30 percent of adults with asthma use complementary therapies. The frequency might be even higher in children.2,3
One study showed that people who use complementary therapies tend to be younger and female. They have lower income and higher education. This study also showed that people with severe asthma are more likely to use complementary therapies. One explanation is that people decide to use complementary therapy because mainstream treatments are not improving their quality of life enough. Most people say they are very satisfied with their alternative therapies.3
