A groundbreaking clinical study is set to investigate whether acupuncture, an ancient therapeutic practice, can offer meaningful relief to millions of people suffering from persistent asthma.
Researchers at the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan have launched a randomized, sham-controlled trial designed to evaluate both the underlying neurological mechanisms of acupuncture and its effectiveness in patients with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma. The details of their trial are outlined in the paper, “Acupuncture for Persistent Asthma: Protocol for a Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial With Neuroimaging,” which was published in the Journal of Asthma and Allergy.
Launched in April 2025, with an expected completion date of June 2027, the study aims to bridge a significant gap in evidence surrounding complementary therapies for respiratory disease.
Authors noted that although inhaled medications such as corticosteroids and bronchodilators are widely used, many patients with asthma struggle with incomplete control, side effects or long-term reliance on drugs. This has fueled growing interest in alternative approaches like acupuncture, they said, though scientific evidence has so far been limited and inconsistent.
The trial will study 72 adult participants, who will be randomly assigned to receive either traditional acupuncture or a sham (placebo-like) version that mimics the procedure without penetrating the skin.
Participants will undergo 12 treatment sessions over four weeks, while continuing their usual asthma medications. Researchers will track a range of outcomes, including:
- Asthma symptom control
- Lung function and airway inflammation
- Quality of life and sleep
- Anxiety, depression and cognitive performance
The primary measure of success, they wrote, will be improvement in the Asthma Control Test (ACT) score after treatment.
According to researchers, what makes this study distinct is its use of advanced neuroimaging techniques. Participants will undergo MRI scans before and after treatment, allowing scientists to observe changes in brain activity.
Emerging research suggests asthma is not just a lung condition but may involve a “lung–brain axis,” investigators noted, where the central nervous system influences airway function and symptom perception.
If the trial is successful, researchers said it could provide the strongest evidence yet supporting acupuncture as a safe and effective adjunct therapy for asthma. It may also shed light on how nondrug interventions influence the body at a neurological level, they said.
The study’s authors also noted the findings could be particularly important for patients who:
- Have poorly controlled asthma
- Experience side effects from medications
- Prefer complementary or holistic treatment options
Additionally, they said identifying brain-based biomarkers may someday help doctors predict which patients are most likely to benefit from acupuncture, paving the way for personalized treatment approaches.
Although researchers are optimistic, they emphasized several limitations: The treatment period is relatively short and longer-term effects will require further study. Additionally, sham acupuncture can produce mild physiological responses, complicating comparisons, they noted.
