The consequences of smoking on one’s health are well known to all smokers. More than 50 million Americans are regular smokers, and the CDC states that there are over a million deaths in the U.S. every year as a consequence of smoking. Many smokers want quit, they realize the danger of continued smoking, but find it difficult to let go of the habit. And if you’re looking to quit, then using acupuncture to quit smoking could help you get over it.
Acupuncture for Smoking Cessation
It is important to stop smoking, because there are roughly 4000 different documented toxins in cigarette smoke, which can cause a wide range of ailments and diseases. These can include high blood pressure, emphysema, and lung cancer. Additionally, many smokers report frequent colds, chronic coughs, shortness of breath, and other chronic diseases.
In short, smoking is a danger to your health, and there are many reasons why you should seek help to quit smoking today. However, it is easier said than done, as not everyone has the mental fortitude or will power to quit smoking. Even smokers that do manage to quit end up relapsing after a certain time due to their addiction to nicotine.
In recent times, acupuncture for smoking cessation has become very popular, as it has allowed people to refrain from smoking entirely. But can acupuncture actually help quit smoking? We will look into the matter in great detail in this article, to figure out whether acupuncture is successful in helping people quit smoking altogether.
Acupuncture Therapy for Smoking
There can be no denying the fact that nicotine addiction is greater in severity than any other substance addiction. Smokers have to go to great lengths in order to quit smoking, and the number of people relapsing is greater than in any other addiction. This is because once you quit smoking and haven’t had a cigarette for a certain time period; you will get severe psychological and physical reactions due to nicotine deprivation.
The good news is that these reactions can be treated through acupuncture therapy. The most common symptoms you will experience once you quit smoking are:
- Restlessness
- Poor sleep
- Nervousness
- Irritability
- Increase in craving and appetite
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Difficulty Concentrating
- Anxiety
Acupuncture therapy has proven to work tremendously well for smoke cessation, as it is aimed at balancing the energy in your body. This optimizes health, and allows cigarette smokers to curb their cravings and manage the symptoms of nicotine deprivation.
The majority of acupuncture treatments are based on dealing with restlessness, irritability, cravings, and jitters, which are often the primary cause of people relapsing after they quit. Acupuncture is able to do that by helping in detoxification, and relaxation.
The great thing about acupuncture is that it is a technique that can provide you with positive results for dealing with any type of addiction. It is not only beneficial for nicotine addiction, and when you use acupuncture to quit smoking, the procedures will be tailored to ensure successful results.
Addiction comes in different forms, which include physical, emotional and mental, which is what makes fighting addiction so difficult. The most common technique used in acupuncture, involves inserting needles into specific points in the ear. It is called the auricular acupuncture, and it is aimed at stimulating the pressure points, known as sympathetic, kidney, lung, liver, and shen men points.
Tiny beads may be taped around these points, to allow you to self-medicate as well. By stimulating these points, you can reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings at the same time. There are also points on the inside of the arm, just above the wrist crease, which is known as “Time Mee”, which works really well in curbing smoking. It targets and alters the way cigarettes taste, and helps make smoking less desirable to smokers.
If you want to learn more about how acupuncture therapy works to help smoking addiction, check out this video below.
What are the Acupuncture Points used to help you Quit Smoking?
Every individual patient is treated based on their unique and specific diagnosis. This usually results in a combination of body acupuncture points, most of which are on the ear that are used to influence the organs and the energy pathways, which are connected with smoking. The commonly used acupuncture points for smoking cessation are the points on the ear, and the body. Here they are in more detail:
Ear points:
- Hunger or Mouth
- Kidney
- Lung Upper and Lung Lower
- Shen men
- Sympathetic
Body points:
The Four Gate Points (LI-4, LV-3) – these points are used to circulate the energy throughout the body and calm down the nervous system.
Time Mee – This meridian point is situated on the wrist, between the LI-5 and LU-7, which helps quit smoking.
The general acupuncture treatments only last for about 5 to 30 minutes, while the patient will undergo the treatment at least once a week. Once the needles are removed, silver pellets or ear press needles are applied to stimulate these points in order to help reduce cravings. You can read more about acupuncture pressure points to quit smoking here.
Another technique used in conjunction with acupuncture is acupressure, which helps restore calm and balance in the body. The acupressure points can be used to treat all types of addiction, and are very helpful in managing the first few days of withdrawal. It is also important to maintain proper chakra balance, while using acupressure to quit smoking.
The following video also accurately describes acupressure points used to stop smoking.
How Acupuncture to Stop Smoking Works?
Every smoker has tried to quit smoking at least once in their life. However, there are multiple withdrawal symptoms associated with it, which can cause one to experience lack of concentration, anxiousness, depression, irritability, dry mouth, constipation, tightness in the chest, cough, feeling jittery, fatigue, and insomnia. Acupuncturists are trained to deal with addictions, specifically nicotine addiction, which is done through the principles found in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Acupuncturists generally treat addiction from different perspectives, which include emotional, mental, and physical addiction. There are different techniques that are used, which includes a technique where fine needles are inserted into 5 specific points on the ear in to detoxify the body from smoking cravings. After the acupuncture therapy treatment, you may have small beads taped on the ear, which when stimulated will help you stop the withdrawal symptoms.
You will need to take several visits in a week to get acupuncture therapy for smoking, and most experts recommend around two visits a week in order to deal with the acute withdrawal phase, and enhance your chances of quitting smoking for good. In general patients will experience a gradual decrease in their cravings, while they will notice a change in sensory perception, along with enhanced taste. The smell of cigarettes will become intolerable, and they will experience a state of relaxation and calm.
Read more on smoking cessation protocol over here.
The acupuncturist you choose to go for therapy to quit smoking will have their own cessation protocol, which will be customized according to your diagnosis. The program will generally have acupuncture treatments over a week, where the patient will receive treatment on each day. It can be broken down in the following ways:
- You have a smoke for the LAST time before your first treatment
- You need to get rid of all your paraphernalia, like ashtrays and lighters.
- When you go to bed your body starts detoxing, and acupuncture therapy will aid the detoxing.
- On the first 4 days you will get acupuncture treatments at suitable times, according to their time schedules.
- Make sure that you discuss the withdrawal symptoms you experience frequently with your acupuncturists, so that they can target specific points.
Acupuncture helps in influencing different parts of the nervous system, which is why it manages to have an impact on your heart rate, mood, stress response, and gastrointestinal system.
If you to learn about whether acupuncture to stop smoking actually work, check out this video below.
Can Acupuncture Help Quit Smoking?
There are no two ways about it, smoking is a very complicated addiction, and is definitely no small task, which is why you will need all the help and support possible, in order to successfully quit smoking. This means seeking out the best tools and techniques to manage the emotional and physical symptoms of withdrawal. Acupuncture is considered to be one of the best ways to help people quit smoking.
Why do I think that acupuncture can help you quit smoking? Well first of all, you need to take a look at how acupuncture helps in quitting smoking.
A massage therapy institute by the name of Anoka Massage & Pain Therapy & Acupuncture in state of Minnesota has published some interesting findings about how acupuncture can help you quit smoking. Here are five things that you should know about it:
1. Acupuncture is effective in stopping smoking
Acupuncture can be used to combat addiction and stop cigarette cravings, and has yielded successful results for lots of people. It is backed by research, where studies have shown it to be highly effective. A study conducted recently, “Alternative Smoking Cessation Aids: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials,” had researchers collect data from fourteen different studies to find out what substitute techniques facilitated patients to quit smoking.
The study examined 823 patients, with the researchers concluding that hypnotherapy and acupuncture could help patients quit smoking. More and more studies are yielding positive results in terms of supporting acupuncture for smoking cessation. This is because the technique deals with smoking addiction in several ways, by detoxifying the body, enhancing relaxation, lessening restlessness and irritability, curbing cravings, and stopping jitters. It effectively restores balance in the body, and kick starts the healing process.
2. A Stop Smoking Acupuncture point exists
The “Tim Mee” point is stimulated to stop smoking, and is located a finger’s width from the wrist crease, on the inside of the arm. It is used to alter the way cigarettes taste, and helps people quit smoking. This doesn’t mean that it will completely stop you from smoking, since nicotine addiction is complicated. However, this acupuncture point is very useful, when stimulated with other points in re-balancing the body to heal, and combating cravings.
3. Acupuncture can reduce cravings, but it cannot change smoking habits
One of the most difficult aspects of cigarette addiction to address is the physical cravings associated with it. The habit of smoking is harder to control, since it helps you address difficult emotional situations, and not smoking will leave you feeling vulnerable. If smoking is a daily ritual for you, then not smoking will feel like your day hasn’t gone normally, which can be challenging to address.
This is the reason why I recommend you use all the available support systems in place. This may mean taking part in smoke-free activities, exercising, joining a support group, or getting help from friends and family. Quitting smoking requires social, emotional, and physical support, so while acupuncture can reduce cravings it won’t change your habits.
4. There are easy acupressure techniques to reduce cravings
One of the simplest ways you can cope with smoking cravings at home is through an ear massage, which releases endorphins. These chemicals are natural painkillers, and stimulating this acupuncture point will help balance your energy. There are different techniques to massage your ear, which includes placing your thumbs in the upper portion of the ear and massage it in circular motions.
You can also try massaging the inner crevices in the front of the ear, while massaging the earlobes with circular motions and gentle pulls also works. In order to be more effective, it is recommended that you learn about specific points on your body, which work best for you. Acupuncturists also place small beads on these points and tape them, so that whenever you have a craving, you should press on the bead for instant relief.
5. Herbs along with acupuncture can help with cravings
There are also lots of herbs that can be taken to control cravings, tissue repair, detoxification, and irritability. You can also discuss this with your acupuncturist to get the right result.
There are no two ways about it. Studies and research have backed up the claims that acupuncture therapy works like a charm when it comes to reducing the cravings associated with smoking. The treatment is therefore highly effective in helping people quit smoking, and improving the healing properties of the body as well.
Does Acupuncture Help Quit Smoking?
Acupuncture therapy has become increasingly popular among people looking to quit smoking, and other addictions. Researchers have found that acupuncture is highly effective as a treatment for all types of addictions ranging from heroin to cigarettes. It is being used as an alternative treatment for smoking cessation, and has proved to successful turn a lot of people into ex-smokers.
Due to its effectiveness, it has also become a court mandated treatment for chemical dependency, since it helps curb cravings and reduces withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. Acupuncture has proven to be very successful because it eases anxiety and calms the mind. A lot of people smoke in order to mask feelings they don’t wish to face, and acupuncture helps remove these feelings from the body. A growing number of people who have gotten acupuncture therapy for smoking cessation, have revealed that they had more peaceful sleep and feel at greater ease with themselves after getting the treatment.
This is because acupuncture works to remove the nicotine and tar residue from the body, which makes the lungs feel lighter, improves digestion, stops coughing, and improves voice. Acupuncture has been successful in helping people quit smoking because it breaks the addictive cycle and re-calibrates the energy in the body.
What does Medical Science say about Acupuncture for Smoking?
There are lots of great reasons for trying acupuncture as a means of quitting smoking. For one, it is an alternative treatment that is yielding positive results; and two, it has also shown remarkable results in a number of studies. Medical science generally has very positive things to say about acupuncture for smoking, and how it helps curb withdrawals and eliminates toxins from the body.
A recent study, conducted in March 2017, ‘Auricular Acupuncture, Education, and Smoking Cessation: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial’, looked at the effect of acupuncture on smoking cessation. There were 141 adults studied under acupuncture with the results showing that all groups showed significant reductions in smoking and the follow-up study backed up this claim. The study positively concluded that acupuncture therapy could greatly reduce smoking, especially for heavy smokers.
A study conducted in 2002 reviewed acupuncture for smoking cessation, and looked at whether it actually helped reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms. The main objective of the study was to analyze the effectiveness of acupuncture, compared with other techniques for smoking cessation. The study conducted random trials with different techniques compared with each other, and data was collected on the most successful technique for smoking cessation. The study didn’t manage to find any conclusive evidence that acupuncture was effective for smoking cessation.
Another study conducted in 2010 looked at acupuncture related techniques for treating smoking addiction, and reducing nicotine withdrawals. The main objective of the review was to ascertain whether acupuncture would be effective in combating smoking cessation. Random trials where held where various techniques of acupressure and acupuncture were conducted. The study concluded that there wasn’t any conclusive evidence that acupuncture helped in smoking cessation.
A study published in 2005, ‘The Effects of the Acupuncture Treatment for Smoking Cessation in High School Student Smokers’ revealed that acupuncture works extremely well in terms of helping people quit smoking. The study was done on 159 students who were treated with acupuncture, with the results showing that it did manage to effect in smoking cessation in some form.
Acupuncture to Quit Smoking Reviews and Success Rates
Acupuncture has become one of the best ways to quit smoking with a high rate of success, which has helped numerous people easily get over the withdrawal symptoms associated with smoking. There have been countless studies that have been done under the perspective of getting to know the effects of quitting smoking for smokers, and whether it can easily help people to get over this addiction.
A lot of smokers don’t need any help to quit smoking. Many succeed in managing to get rid of their addiction completely. That is the main reason why acupuncture to quit smoking has become so popular these days as it basically offers a high rate of success. The first step towards quitting smoking is to enroll in a stop smoking program that is designed to help smokers quit their addiction. Read on more about stop smoking program over here.
Acupuncture for smoking cessation is getting growing support, and it has actually become a court-mandated treatment for addicts. This is because the treatment works extremely well to alleviate the symptoms of withdrawal, while also curbing cravings. The overall success rate of acupuncture to quit smoking is very high, which has been the main reason why it is highly regarded for smoke cessation. You can read more about it over here.
Acupuncture to quit smoking has been creating a lot of buzz in national media. Here is an incredible story about Philadelphia-area acupuncturist and anesthesiologist Dr. Ghodrat Heidary who helped CBS 3 reporter and anchor Tom Negovan quit smoking in 2003. Watch the video below where CBS anchor Tom Negovan talks about the success rates of using acupuncture to quit smoking. .
Here is another remarkable story about a patient named Bill who had been smoking for 66 years. He was finally able to stop smoking thanks to acupuncture treatment.
How to find an Acupuncturist for Smoking Cessation?
When it comes to choosing an acupuncturist for smoking cessation, there are several different aspects that you should look for before making a decision. There are many acupuncturists offering services to help you quit smoking, but which ones are the best ones? You are making a big decision to change your life and acquiring a good acupuncturist to help you quit smoking is imperative.
Selecting an acupuncturist for smoking cessation is different than choose a doctor, because your relationship will be different in several ways. So in order to help you find a good practitioner, here are the basic steps you need to take:
- Get recommendations
The first and most obvious step is getting recommendations from your friends, colleagues, and family. You should ask people who have acquired acupuncture treatments to quit smoking, since they will be able to guide you more specifically. Make sure that you get an acupuncturist that specializes in smoking cessation, and is in your area, since that will make everything easier for you.
- Search online
If you’re unable to acquire good recommendations, the next step is to search for an acupuncturist specializing in smoking cessation online. The internet will provide you with plenty of options, which makes things a bit tricky, since you will then have to look for reviews and identify the most popular acupuncturists working in your area. There are lots of acupuncturists that have websites with pictures of their facilities, along with client testimonials. Choose one that you find the best out of the lot and call them up to set up a consultation.
- Convenience
Once you have chosen a good acupuncturist, the next thing you need to do is figure out how many sessions it will take for smoking cessation. Some conditions can be treated in a single session, but others require multiple sessions with ongoing therapy. This is why the location and schedule of the acupuncturist is essential.
- Personal connection
Make sure that you have a personal connection with the acupuncturist and you are at ease while getting therapy and treatment from them. It is important to have a healthy working relationship with your acupuncturist, since you need to feel safe during acupuncture therapy. You will be spending about 30 minutes to an hour with your acupuncturist on average, so you need to be able to communicate with them without getting uncomfortable.
- Facilities
The facilities offered by the acupuncturist are a deal breaker for many people, since you need to get treatment in a relaxed environment. Most acupuncturists have pictures of the facilities on their website, but if you can’t find any quality pictures, visit the facility in person to check out whether it meets your approval. Only choose to get treatment from a facility that makes you feel welcome and is comfortable, and that their attitude matches yours.
- Insurance
You should also check whether the acupuncturist offers you insurance for the therapy. You can ask this in the initial meeting with the acupuncturist, but here are some questions that will help you find out more easily. You should ask them:
- If the acupuncture treatment is covered?
- If there is a limit to the number of visits? How many visits are covered?
- How much will be reimbursed after every visit?
- How much of the deductible has been met?
- What is the out-of-network deductible?
There are lots of different acupuncturists offering services today, with unique styles, facilities, and patients. When choosing an acupuncturist it is advised to check whether they specialize in smoking cessation treatments.
What is the Cost of Acupuncture for Smoking Cessation?
The cost of acupuncture for smoking cessation can be quite expensive, but this generally depends on the number of sessions you have to undergo, and your individual treatment plan. You can also ask the acupuncturists whether they offer insurance coverage, and if it will be sufficient to cover the costs of the treatment. There are lots of different smoking cessation programs, and most acupuncturists offer different rates for the services.
The cost also depends on the practitioner’s education, the type of facilities they are offering, and the success rate of the treatment. It is advised that before you choose to start acupuncture for smoking cessation program, you should consider your budget, and the amount of money that you are willing to spend in order to maintain results. A lot of acupuncture practitioners provide private rooms, with high quality treatments guaranteed, but there are lots of affordable acupuncture treatments available in the market as well.
A standard acupuncture for smoking cessation treatment program will cost you quite a lot of money. But acupuncturists also offer discounts if you buy a pre-set number of treatments in advance. The treatments can cost you from anywhere between $60 to $150 per session, depending on the facilities, and the treatment offered by the acupuncturists.
Say Good Bye to Smoking For Good
Just as acupuncture for plantar fasciitis has proved to an effective remedy in treatment of plantar fasciitis, so does acupuncture has proven to be useful to stop smoking. A lot of people are surprised when they learn that acupuncture is an effective treatment for breaking addictions, particularly for smoking. Acupuncture has also been used frequently in rehab facilities in order to break substance addiction! There are numerous studies that back up the claims of acupuncture as a great treatment for helping people quit smoking, and it has become a very popular choice among smokers looking to quit for good.
The best part about acupuncture therapy for smoking addiction is that it stops the withdrawal symptoms, such as cravings, jitters, restlessness, and irritability, and helps detoxify the body. It also helps the body jump start the healing process, while greatly altering the taste of cigarettes, which will ensure that you never crave another cigarette again. So for all intents and purposes if you are looking to quit smoking, then try acupuncture to quit smoking!