Acupuncture for Persistent Dyspnea Despite Medical Treatment in COPD

Exclusion Criteria

• •Patients who do not consent to participate in the study,
• •Patients with communication difficulties or with visual, walking, or hearing impairments,
• •Patients currently experiencing a COPD exacerbation or with a history of exacerbation within the past month,
• •Patients with Stage 1 COPD (FEV1 ≥ 80%),
• •COPD patients receiving monotherapy,
• •Patients with mMRC score \<2 and CAT score \<10,
• •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,
• •Patients receiving long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT),
• •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.