COPD (adjunctive care)
Also known as: copd, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, chronic bronchitis
COPD is long-term lung damage, usually from smoking, causing breathlessness, cough and phlegm. Stopping smoking, inhalers, vaccinations and pulmonary rehabilitation are the proven treatments. Chinese medicine frames it as Lung and Spleen Qi deficiency with Phlegm, progressing to Kidney deficiency failing to grasp the Qi.
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Lifestyle & Diet
- •Stopping smoking is the single most effective step — ask your GP about support.
- •Use inhalers exactly as prescribed and get your technique checked.
- •Join a pulmonary rehabilitation program.
- •Keep flu, COVID and pneumococcal vaccinations up to date.
- •Pace activities and use pursed-lip breathing when breathless.
Cautions & Contraindications
- •COPD flare-ups and breathlessness changes need medical care — acupuncture and herbs are adjunctive only.[,]
- •Needle upper-back points (BL13, BL20) obliquely and shallowly — pneumothorax risk is higher in COPD with thin chest walls.[]
When to reassess or seek care again
Track breathlessness (mMRC scale) and flare-ups monthly; spirometry stays with the GP or respiratory clinic.
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Sources & Further Reading
Clinical guidance, red flags and safety notes on this page draw on the following current sources alongside the classical references above.
- NHS · 2024
- Lung Foundation Australia · 2024
- AHPRA / Chinese Medicine Board of Australia · 2024
Educational reference for licensed practitioners. Not a substitute for individual clinical assessment. Refer to conventional care for any red-flag or undiagnosed presentation.