A narrative review of clinical studies of herbal treatment of difficult to manage asthma

Asthma can be complex and difficult to manage. Patients often seek alternative treatment options, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The paradigms that inform TCM treatments include a philosophy focusing on modifying the whole body status ('bian zheng') to treat the lungs. TCM practitioners use personalized treatment plans based on clusters of clinical patterns (eg. cold-related wheezing, kidney insufficiency/energydeficiency-related wheezing). TCM includes herbal remedies and non-oral therapies such as cupping, acupuncture, and massage. The efficacy of TCM treatments of asthma is not well described as the majority of studies are published only in Chinese literature. We reviewed all available clinical trials in CNKI, Chaoxin, Wanfang, CQVIP, Springer-link, Science Direct, and Pubmed. Papers in Chinese were translated by dual lingual TCM and Western medicine doctors. Based on the identified studies, TCM is a safe additive treatment to Western medicine that can improve both symptoms and quality of life for patients with asthma.