Complementary therapies are any medical or health care practices and products which are not part of ‘standard’ medical care. Standard medical care means treatments offered by mainstream medicine. There are several terms used to describe these different methods of treatment. These include ‘Complementary and Alternative Medicine’ (CAM), ‘Complementary Therapies’, ‘Alternative Therapies’, ‘Natural Therapies’ and 'Traditional Therapies’.
A complementary therapy is not limited to treatments and medicine but can also include different ideas and philosophies about why and how disease occurs and should be treated.
Some complementary therapies used by people with asthma include:
In Australia, interest in using complementary therapies to help treat asthma has grown dramatically over the last 10 years. One study showed that more than 50% of people surveyed were using a complementary therapy and 27% were consulting a complementary therapy practitioner.
Are complementary therapies safe?
There is a common belief that complementary therapies are ‘natural’ and therefore safe. However products used by complementary therapists often have complex chemical ingredients just like medical drugs and can interact with your current prescribed medication and potentially cause adverse side effects.
Complementary therapies and associated treatments should only ever be used alongside your prescribed medication and never as an alternative. It is very important to talk openly with your doctor about any complementary medicine you are taking, to ensure the best management of your asthma. This includes any vitamin or mineral supplements that you take.
Note: Never reduce or stop taking your regular medications without discussing it first with your doctor or asthma educator. Stopping preventer medication suddenly can be particularly dangerous.
Do complementary therapies actually work?
Scientific evidence is limited regarding complementary therapies. The research has not given reliable results because of the way the testing has been done and the approaches used. It is difficult to draw conclusions because of the big differences in the research studies. You should be careful using any complementary therapies because there are still many questions that remain unanswered.
Get informed before making a decision
If you are considering an alternative or complementary therapy, talk openly with your doctor about it and the way you believe it might benefit your asthma. Your doctor can help you to assess the effectiveness of a therapy, and also advise how to monitor your symptoms, reliever usage and lung function while you are trying your chosen therapy.
Your doctor can also alert you to:
- possible interactions with other medicines,
- complementary medicines that may worsen your asthma, and
- therapies that have been shown to have positive health benefits.
If you want to use complementary therapies, as well as discussing it with your doctor it is important to do the following:
- Research the therapy and be as informed as you can, making sure your information comes from a reliable source.
- Be sure to check that the health care practitioner you choose is a registered practitioner and has an appropriate level of qualification.
- Read all labels on complementary medicines carefully and look for warnings on any packages or leaflets.
- Beware of allergic reactions.
- Asthma may be worsened by products such as Royal Jelly, Echinacea, natural aspirin-containing products such as white willow tree bark (botanical name Salix alba) and Chamomile as they may cause allergic reactions.
You may also be interested to read more about choosing a therapist or how to know if your alternative medicine is safe.
Don’t stop taking your regular medication
It is generally recommended you trial a complementary therapy for a set period. During this time it is important not to stop taking or change the dose of your regular medication without talking to your doctor first. Stopping preventer medication suddenly can result in loss of asthma control and may be dangerous. At the completion of the trial period, a decision about whether to continue the therapy or not can be made in partnership with your doctor.