Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese technique, in practice for thousands of years, that has been used to promote, restore, and maintain health. The technique is accepted widely in China as an important part of traditional medicine and is considered superior to many more modern forms.

Acupuncture has captured the imagination of many Americans who perceive it as a simple, nonmedical approach. Its use has extended to the treatment of addictions. As a result, some people have applied it to the field of smoking cessation.

Acupuncturists claim there are a number of benefits that smokers who are trying to quit can experience. They include a reduction in physiological cravings for nicotine as well as a reduction in the consequences of nicotine withdrawal (such as nervousness, irritability, craving for food, or depression). Acupuncture can be very relaxing, and many people report that they fall into a restful sleep Immediately following the treatment.

Description

Acupuncture involves the use of hair-thin needles or surgical-steel staples. The use of staples, which are tiny (about one-sixteenth of an inch), is also called staple puncture. The needles or staples are placed under the skin in predetermined parts of the body.

There is some controversy about the sites at which the needles or staples should be placed for smoking cessation. One common site that is said to induce loss of desire to smoke is at the center of the bottom of the ear. Needles are also commonly placed in both ears. In one program, the needles are left in the ears until the patient has achieved four consecutive weeks of abstinence or wants to drop out of the program. In another program, the needles are placed for thirty minutes at a time.

Another common site for acupuncture is on the surface of the nose, which is supposed to decongest the respiratory tract and generate a feeling of disgust for smoke.

A new, more modern form of acupuncture involves lasers. Laser beams are focused on the ear, nose, and a spot between the index finger and thumb. The frequency with which laser treatment is used depends on the clinician doing the procedure.

How It Works

The method by which acupuncture works is not well understood by modern science. The theory behind the technique is that all human physical or mental problems, including addictions such as smoking, are due to energy imbalances. Often the body needs help with realignment or redirection of this energy. The placement of needles in strategic positions facilitates this realignment.

There are very few carefully done studies of acupuncture for smoking cessation. One study reported an initial 88 percent success rate for patients treated with needles in their ears. In this study, however, there was no comparison group. The patients reported to a clinic every week and were encouraged to quit. There is no description of the patients who participated in the study. As a result, it is impossible to evaluate how successful this program really was.

However, a more recent study recruited patients through advertisements and then randomly assigned them to three groups one receiving no special treatment, one using nicotine gum, and one receiving acupuncture treatment. After one year, the researchers found that both the gum and the acupuncture worked better than no special treatment. Interestingly, the nicotine gum and the acupuncture seemed to work equally well.

Some studies have taken smokers and placed needles in the correct acupuncture site in half the group and in an incorrect site in the others. These studies have not consistently shown any benefit of acupuncture, but the numbers of people studied were very small.

This lack of conclusive information about acupuncture leaves the value of this technique in the speculative category. No one knows for sure whether or not acupuncture helps. There is a need for more definitive studies.

Harms

Acupuncture may seem harmless enough, but the small needles and staples have occasionally caused problems. Needles used in acupuncture are generally not disposable, and the same needles may be used repeatedly for different people. There have been reports of infections caused by unsterilized acupuncture needles. These infections may be at the site of !he needle, or bacteria introduced into the bloodstream may cause an infection at a distant site (such as the heart). Also, acupuncture needles have transmitted disease from client to client. Cases of hepatitis have been transmitted between clients, and it is at least theoretically possible that even AIDS could be transmitted. As a rule, professional acupuncturists, ones who carefully take care of their equipment, do not have these problems. But if you wish to try acupuncture, be sure you find a reputable practitioner who sterilizes needles between uses.

An understandable concern for those considering acupuncture is pain. Most practitioners claim that acupuncture is a relatively painfree procedure. (We guess “relatively” is the key word!) Some people have reported some discomfort, either during or, in some cases, after the procedure. Considering that pain is a uniquely experienced phenomenon, it’s up to you to decide if you’d like to further pursue this technique.

Recommendation

Acupuncture can be recommended only with reservation. Although it may attract many smokers looking for something new conclusive evidence to support its use is lacking. Nevertheless, is accepted by some experts as possibly helpful, especially with supportive counseling and proper smoking-cessation strategies.

Make sure you know about the training of the practitioner, his or her method of sterilizing needles, and the satisfaction of previous clients who have used the treatment (and the particular practitioner) to try to stop smoking.

Tagged under:consecutive weeks ear nose laser beams lasers nicotine withdrawal quit smoking respiratory tract surgical steel thin needles traditional medicine

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