Asthma Treatment for Children: A Functional Medicine Approach

Asthma treatment for children is very often focused on controlling or suppressing asthma symptoms.  Using the functional medicine approach in my clinical practice, I recently treated a 6-year old girl with asthma that resulted in getting rid of the symptoms.  In this particular case, the symptoms are almost completely gone, and some may call this “cured”.  I’d like to share this case for asthma treatment for children with you.

A couple of months ago, her mother brought her to me for effective non-drug asthma treatment options.  She had a chronically stuffy nose, difficulty breathing, and a deep wet cough during the day. At night, she would often have bouts of coughing for 20-30 minutes at 1 am and 5 am.  This significantly interrupted the her and her families’ sleep.  Partly as a result of the interrupted sleep, she had dark circles under her eyes.  She could not breathe through her nose but only with her mouth open.

She and her family had been suffering with her increasingly very tiring and uncomfortable condition for 3 years.  She was placed on Flovent inhalant treatment (2 puffs twice daily) and Albuterol (as needed every 4 hours) by her pediatrician about 3 years ago as treatment for asthma.  The pharmaceuticals alleviated the asthma symptoms somewhat, but she was still having the significant symptoms.
After thorough review of the child’s history, initial exam, including chiropractic examination, I gave her an asthma treatment program consisting of:
  • chiropractic adjustments
  • a low-allergenic, anti-inflammatory diet
  • nutrition supplements including probiotics, fish oil, curcuma longa extract powder, powdered quercetin ascorbate,  MSM powder, and extra vitamin D

By the way, regarding vitamin D,  a recent article published in the March 2010 issue of Mothering Magazine confirmed that a large majority of children with asthma have low vitamin D levels.  I also reported on this factor in my March 2007 newsletter issue of my newsletter called “Functional Health Notes”.

Chiropractic adjustments were performed once per week to remove nervous system irritation and blockages to and from all the tissues and organs of her body.

Within about 6 weeks, the mother reported that she has almost complete cessation of all symptoms mentioned above and has had no need of albuterol for 3 weeks.  She has decreased the dose of Flovent significantly also.  Their family is greatly relieved from this 3-year ordeal.

Once again, this highlights the fact that the functional medicine approach results are far superior, safer and more effective over the conventional, solely pharmaceutical approach.  Many practitioners of functional medicine often have similar results in asthma treatment, as well as various cases of illnesses.  Isn’t this worth investigating?

Copyright © 2010 Douglas Husbands, DC, CCN. All rights reserved.

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