Does anyone know if acupuncture works for smoking?
Acupuncture has turned a growing number of cigarette cravers intopermanent ex-smokers. As said before, acupuncture is not a panacea or amagic cure in the treatment of smoking. It can, however, reduce thecravings and lessen the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting.
Oriental Medicine aims to treat the specific symptoms that areunique to each individual using a variety of techniques such asacupuncture, Chinese herbs, bodywork, lifestyle/dietary recommendationsand energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in the body.
Your acupuncturist may do an interview to learn about your uniquesmoking habits and perform a physical examination including bloodpressure, taking the pulse and observing the tongue. The emotional andphysical symptoms that you are experiencing will help create a clearpicture on which your practitioners can create a treatment planspecifically for you.
The acupuncture treatments will focus on the jitters, the cravings,the irritability, and the restlessness that people commonly complainabout when they quit. It will also aid in relaxation anddetoxification.
What Points Are Used?
Each patient is custom-treated according to his or her specific andunique diagnosis. Usually a combination of body acupuncture points andpoints on the ear are used that are believed to influence the organsand energetic pathways associated with smoking.
Commonly Used Points for Smoking Cessation include…more
Acupuncture does work as a support mechanism while you are quitting smoking. However, it does not make people want to quit. In my own practice, I am a firm believer in combining Acupuncture with some basic vitamin/mineral supplementation. In a meta-analysis of 12 or so studies involving Acupuncture for smoking cessation Acupuncture did show comparable success rates as behavior therapy.
