title: Acupuncture as an adjunct to pulmonary rehabilitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by airflow limitation and by both systemic and airway inflammation. In COPD, acupuncture has been shown to improve quality-of-life scores and decrease breathlessness; similar findings have also been reported after pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). The hypothesis of this study was that acupuncture in conjunction with pulmonary rehabilitation would improve COPD outcome measures compared to pulmonary rehabilitation alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  The design was a randomized prospective study; all subjects had COPD. There were 19 controls, 25 who underwent PR, and 16 who had both acupuncture and PR. The primary outcome measure was a change in measures of systemic inflammation at the end of PR and at 3 month followup. Lung function, including maximum inspiratory pressure (PiMax), quality-of-life scores, functional capacity including steps taken, dyspnea scores, and exercise capacity, were secondary endpoints.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After PR, both groups had significantly improved quality-of-life scores, reduced dyspnea scores, improved exercise capacity, and PiMax, but no change in measures of systemic inflammation compared with the controls. There were no differences in most of the outcome measures between the 2 treatment groups except that subjects who had both acupuncture and PR remained less breathless for a longer period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The addition of acupuncture to PR did not add significant benefit in most of the outcomes measured.
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Beaumont Hospital and the associated Education and Research Centre, University College of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors: Brenda M
authors: BM
authors: Deering
authors: Brona
authors: B
authors: Fullen
authors: Claire
authors: C
authors: Egan
authors: Niamh
authors: N
authors: McCormack
authors: Emer
authors: E
authors: Kelly
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Pender
authors: Richard W
authors: RW
authors: Costello
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007320:Inspiratory Capacity; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome