"Acupuncture https may allow people with the lung disease COPD https chronic obstructive pulmonary disease https to breathe a bit easier. COPD https is the umbrella term for chronic lung diseases https including chronic bronchitis https and emphysema https It is often marked by a chronic cough https and shortness of breath. Treatment typically involves the use of inhaled steroids https and bronchodilators https_inhalers_bronchodilators to open airways and make breathing easier.  In a new study of  people with COPD https some got acupuncture https along with their daily medication https for three months. Others got a sham acupuncture treatment in which the needles did not enter their skin https Those who received acupuncture along with their daily medication for three months were able to walk longer without becoming breathless compared to those who got the sham acupuncture treatment. The study appears online in the Archives of Internal Medicine. People who received real acupuncture also showed improvements in their quality of life and ability to exercise https according to researchers from Kyoto University and Meiji University of Integrative Medicine https in Kyoto Japan. Many people with COPD have problems getting optimal nutrition https because of their condition. The study showed that acupuncture may improve stomach https function making it easier for people with COPD to eat a healthy diet and maintain a normal weight https_assetscontrolled_contenthealthwisespecialweight_managementare_you_at_a_healthy_weight_special_aa.xml. Acupuncture and COPD Symptoms Exactly how acupuncture improves symptoms of COPD is not fully understood. Researchers speculate that needling the acupuncture points on the rib cage area may help relax muscles involved in breathing. This makes perfect sense to TongJoo Gan https_assetscontrolled_contenthealthwisenordgiant_axonal_neuropathy_nord_nord.xml MD. He is a professor of anesthesiology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham N.C. It also may help reduce anxiety https levels he says. When you become breathless your anxiety https goes up so relaxation is another possible explanation for the benefit. Acupuncture has been shown to release chemicals that relax the lungs https and dilate the airways he says. Clearly it looks like a viable alternative to treat chronic COPD Gan says. The downside is so little and the upside is so huge that acupuncture is well worth a try for those who find it difficult to control their COPD despite medications. If you do try it you must choose a licensed and experienced acupuncturist Gan says. If you have COPD or another lung disease acupuncture is worth a shot  literally says Len Horovitz MD. He is a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. Horovitz regularly uses acupuncture to help smokers kick the habit. It also helps people with asthma https and can allow them to use fewer steroids he says. Kim Tsao a licensed acupuncturist in New York and her brother Jianhua Tsoi in Greenwich and Wilton Conn. often use acupuncture to help people with COPD. Most people think it is only for pain but acupuncture can help with lung and other diseases Tsao tells WebMD. But she and her brother are quick to caution that acupuncture should be used with medication and other COPD treatments not in place of it. Most of these patients do see Western doctors already Tsoi says. If they come to us first we tell them to go to Western doctors and get proper medication to stay under control."