Acupuncture for Persistent Dyspnea Despite Medical Treatment in COPD

Prior treatment

• COPD patients receiving monotherapy,
• Patients receiving long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT),

Other illness

• Patients currently experiencing a COPD exacerbation or with a history of exacerbation within the past month,
• Patients with unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction (within 3-5 days), uncontrolled arrhythmia, active endocarditis, acute myocarditis/pericarditis, symptomatic severe aortic stenosis, lower extremity DVT, uncontrolled asthma/COPD, pulmonary edema, oxygen saturation (SpO₂) ≤ 90%, acute respiratory failure, or suspected dissecting aneurysm,

Other

• Patients who do not consent to participate in the study,
• Patients with communication difficulties or with visual, walking, or hearing impairments,
• Patients with Stage 1 COPD (FEV1 ≥ 80%),
• Patients with mMRC score \<2 and CAT score \<10,
• COPD patients who have experienced more than two exacerbations in the past year.
  • Withdrawal Criteria:
• Patients who are unable to complete acupuncture sessions or follow-up assessments in the control group for any reason,
• Patients who experience an exacerbation during the study (they will be reassessed one month after recovery and may be re-included if eligible),
• Patients who miss more than two acupuncture sessions.

• Volunteers aged between 40 and 80 years, who are communicative and cooperative,
• Diagnosed with COPD for at least 3 months,
• Receiving dual or triple regular pharmacological therapy for at least 3 months,
• Post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC \<70% and predicted FEV1 \<80% on spirometry, mMRC (Modified Medical Research Council) dyspnea score of 2 or higher,
• COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score of 10 or higher.