Twenty-nine year old Caroline complained of frequent asthma attacks for five years. Five years ago she found a job in a basement office, which was located near a swamp. The office had smelly rugs and the room was filled with "stuffy" air. Caroline mentioned that her asthma attacks began a few weeks after she started to work there. A year later, she quit the job in the hope that asthma would go away but with no luck. When she first came to our clinic seeking acupuncture treatments, she was using an inhaler alomost every day. She had no other health complaints.
Caroline's asthma was of an inhalation type. She had a long inhalation time accompanied with wheezing and a normal exhalation. When her ankle was pressed, he inhalation improved. Pressing her elbow helped her inhalation. Four points around umbilicus were used to treat the allergic component of the asthma she had exhibited. Sore and gummy points at her back were also used.
This treatment gave Caroline relief for only two or three days. She was treated once a week for three weeks and each time the asthma attacks came back after two or three days of relief.
On her 4th visit, Caroline's abdomen was palpated much more thoroughly and a lump at the left to her naval was discovered. It wasn't very painful and was missed during her previous treatments. Liver treatment was then applied. It reduced some of the deep pressure pain at the abdomen. After the treatment, an interdermal needle was left in one of her ankles and arms. Two more similar treatments later, she was clear of her symptoms.
It was clear that without the root treatment done in the latter part of her treatments, her underlying condition could not have gotten better.