Acupuncture for the Treatment of Opiate Addiction PMC

For the sham group, non-specific non-meridian points were chosen away from those selected for the treatment group. On July 1, 2009, the no-smoking area was further extended to recreational venues to provide protection against ‘‘secondhand smoking’’ in indoor workplace and public places. Through public education, health campaigns, and government legislation, smoking has become less socially acceptable as people become more health conscious. The service to aid smoking cessation thus becomes highly significant and demanding.

For such participants, counseling programs could help achieve better results. The low absolute cessation rate in our study may be related to the relative lack of determination among our patients. The guidance of the theory of traditional Chinese medicine is traditionally believed to be essential in achieving acupuncture’s therapeutic effect, but the metaphysical explanations may be hard to understand by modern science.

They were then followed up weekly during the treatment period, 7 days after treatment was completed, and 3 months after treatment via phone interview. One disadventage of Methadone and MMT is that adverse effects are still prominent which include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, gastro-intestinal symptoms, respiratory symptoms and even haematological disturbances. Opiate or heroin is commonly understanding alcohol withdrawal shakes & how to stop them taken together with alcohol, barbiturates and/or other abusive drugs, resulting in life-threatening morbidities such as respiratory distress, serious infections etc. The application of injections introduces viral infections like hepatitis and AIDS . Opiate and its derivatives depress the central nervous system activities which can last up to six hours after opiates have been consumed.

What can NADA acupuncture help treat?

Most patients report little to no discomfort after the needles have been removed. Needle manipulation-Your therapist may lightly move or wiggle the needles once they are inserted. He or she may also apply other stimulants, such as heat or electrical stimulation. Zeng X, Lei L, Lu Y, Wang Z. Treatment of heroinism with acupuncture at points of the Du Channel. Wells EA, Jackson R, Diaz OR, Stanton V, Saxon AJ, Krupski A. Acupuncture as an adjunct to methadone treatment services.

Dr. Wen was unaware that some patients were also heroin, opium, morphine, alcohol, and/or nicotine dependent. The addict patients later volunteered this information, and reported that they also lost their drug cravings after receiving acupuncture. Wen and his colleagues followed up 40 patients for opium and heroin addiction. They confirmed that 39 of 40 patients were considered improved in that they had gained basal weight and reported they did not crave drugs [19-21]. In the United States, Smith and coworkers [22-25] modified Wen’s original protocol by eliminating electrical stimulation and by using an abbreviated prescription of five-point auricular acupuncture.

In 1996, the World Health Organization listed 64 medical problems that were considered suitable for acupuncture treatment, including the treatment of drug abuse. There are 3 major advantages regarding the use of acupuncture to treat drug addiction. First, acupuncture therapy for opiate addiction is inexpensive, simple and has no side effects . Acupuncture for Co-Occurring Disorders Mental health disorders sometimes co-occur with drug and alcohol addiction.

Can Acupuncture be Beneficial in Treating Drug Addiction?

Given that perfect choices are not available, the majority of smoking cessation studies used breath tests instead of a plasma cotinine concentration test, which was also invasive and more expensive. Participants’ self-reports on cigarette consumption verified by their carbon monoxide breath tests could therefore be practical means for the evaluation of the effectiveness of acupuncture in smoking cessation. The effectiveness of acupressure was free of smoking by end of treatment and point prevalence of smoking cessation at 7 days following treatment completion.

When a few subjects reported pain, the fMRI scannings showed an increase of blood to the same brain areas. It may provide a clear explanation to date for how the ancient acupuncture might relieve pain. This paper provides an overview of trials that have investigated the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of opiate addiction. We here summarize the quality of the study design, types of acupuncture applied, commonly selected acupoints or sites of the body, and the effectiveness of the treatment in these trials. The sham points chosen for the control group were meant to be really inert to stimulation.

Nicotine

Therefore, DNIC represents a nonspecific physiological mechanism which triggers the natural opiate system in both man and experimental animal. It has been suggested that DNIC plays a relatively minor role in acupuncture analgesia and a brief history of alcoholism that other systems, mediated by serotonin and noradrenaline, may be important. The mechanism of acupuncture in internal diseases, such as asthma, irritable bowel, and the treatment of symptoms such as nausea is completely unknown.

• Hank is talking about ear (“auricular”) acupuncture, a cornerstone of recovery for clients at the Substance Abuse Treatment Unit .
• Regarding negative reinforcement, acupuncture treatment stimulates enkephalin neurons in the hypothalamus and interacts withμ-opioid receptors to inhibit VTA GABAergic interneurons and thus increases dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens .
• They also engaged in less alcohol or tobacco use during the three- and six-month follow-up periods of the study.
• In Vancouver, Washington, mental health treatment provides a fundamental key to a successful life of sobriety after addiction.
• However, many unanswered questions remain regarding the basic mechanisms of action of acupuncture.

Those who receive the acupuncture treatments report significant reduction in cravings for drugs, relief from symptoms of withdrawal, and feelings of relaxation. The success of acupuncture treatments at Lincoln Memorial has opened the doors for many other publically-funded acupuncture detoxification centers throughout the nation. Furthermore, the growing popularity of acupuncture has encouraged some courts to order acupuncture as part of a comprehensive drug rehab program. Abusers who receive treatment along with counseling and vocational training are found to less likely reappear in court for similar charges than those who are sentenced to prison.

Participants

Original clinical trials that investigated the efficacy of acupuncture therapy were divided into six categories based on substance dependence with a narrative review of their methods and results. Although morphine is an opioid, it has been assigned its own section because of the high number of publications on this topic. Overcoming drug addiction is an incredibly difficult journey that can require a variety of different approaches and methods in order to be successful. However, an increasing number of studies are showing that acupuncture could potentially be an effective tool in treating drug addiction and aiding the detoxification process.

As a result, African American patients are consistently less likely than white patients to be treated for their pain. More so than whites, African Americans are more likely to skip the flu vaccine because they don’t trust its safety. Although therapeutic means are available, none of them is considered satisfactory. Further exploration on other alternative ways is needed for therapeutic control. Other alternative treatment includes the application of traditional Chinese medicine .

This prescription was not designed for withdrawal from any class of drug or any single abused substance. Instead, it effectively reduced cravings, anxiety, and dysphoria of withdrawal in addict patients during withdrawal from a variety of drugs and alcohol. Patients consistently reported the dramatic relief during the early weeks of withdrawal, when the incidence of relapse is highest. By 1974, Smith had used this five-point auricular protocol as the sole detoxification method used in the outpatient clinic at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, NY. Over the past 40 years, this acupuncture protocol has grown in popularity. It is currently used to treat alcohol and other drug withdrawal in more than 800 substance abuse treatment centers across the United States and Europe. Alcoholism has been described at least since the ancient Greek and Roman times .

These articles placed more of an investigative emphasis on morphine and alcohol than on other substances. However, the number and spacing of treatments will often depend on the condition being treated and its severity. According to Sobo, NADA acupuncture is more effective when participants are receptive and committed to treatment. Addiction and trauma are two very heavy and complex things to grapple with. Along with treatment solutions that take a person’s individual needs into account, there are supplemental therapies that can help promote healing and recovery.

The acupuncturist then contacted an assistant who drew the envelope in turn, opened it and revealed the assigned intervention. During an acupuncture session, paper-thin needles are inserted into five different points of the ear. It only takes about 1-2 minutes for the practitioner to insert the needles. Then, the patient sits silently for minutes, usually with the lights dim. This creates an environment of peace and well-being which leaves the patient feeling profoundly calm and relaxed.

Dealing With Someone Addicted to Alcohol: 9 Tips To Cope

Acupuncture is a healthier alternative that promotes relaxation and stress relief. Many patients find that they get the same or greater benefit from an acupuncture session than they do from a night of drinking or even a few glasses of wine. However, electronic cigarettes still contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance, as well as other harmful chemicals. Although it was once touted as a way to break addiction to cigarettes, it has proven ineffective in studies.

People with pacemakers cannot receive acupuncture; special considerations are given to those with certain medical conditions such as hemophilia and diabetes. Clinicians, says Bryant, experience stress too; it’s important that they develop ways to manage their stress. The treatment is available to all CMHC staff members during any of SATU’s regularly scheduled clinics. White AR, Rampes H, Liu JP, Stead LF, Campbell J. Acupuncture and related interventions for smoking cessation. Thanavaro JL, Delicath TA. Auricular Transcutaneous Electrostimulation Therapy and Intensive Counseling for the Treatment of Smoking Cessation in a Primary Care Practice. Acupuncture suppresses reinstatement of morphine-seeking behavior induced by a complex cue in rats.

Just remember that only through the addition of mental health treatment, such as counseling and therapy, can you or a loved one ensure the continuation of long-term abstinence and sobriety. In Vancouver, Washington, mental health treatment provides a fundamental key to a successful life of sobriety after addiction. Four studies used auricular acupuncture for the treatment of heroin addiction and 3 of these studies did not report any clinical gains from acupuncture for the treatment of heroin addiction. Five studies [46–48, 50, 51] used body acupuncture with manual or electrical stimulation and all reported some clinical efficacy from the acupuncture for the treatment of heroin addiction. The single study that used HANS for the treatment of heroin addiction reported a significant improvement in the severity of withdrawal syndrome.

In acupuncture theory, bidirectional regulation is referred to a balancing effect of acupuncture interventions when the human body is experiencing a hyperactivity or hypoactivity due to abnormal intrinsic or external factors. For example, when blood pressure is too high, needling Neiguan (PC.6) can reduce high blood pressure; when blood pressure is too low, needling PC.6 can elevate blood pressure. Acupuncture-induced correction of abnormal blood pressure is observed to be dependent on the nervous, endocrinal, humoral, and dielectric regulation. Take Zusanli (ST.36) for another example, EA at Zusanli (ST.36) can biregulate gastric activity. For gastric hypermotility, EA at ST.36 can inhibit gastric movement; but for bradygastria, EA at ST.36 can promote the peristalsis of the stomach.

’s executive director, told me that pin pricks to certain points in the ear activate different organs and emotions. Other acupuncturists told me the practice stimulates the immune system or alleviates energy blockages in the body. Bursac told me the studies on the signs and symptoms of alcoholism effectiveness of acupuncture might have come to different conclusions because they had different designs. She acknowledges that acupuncture doesn’t work in isolation, but she says it is effective in conjunction with services like counseling and 12-step groups.

With the healing benefits of acupuncture, addiction can be treated at the source, eliminating the reason the patient developed the addiction and continues to be controlled by it. Overeating is an addiction that can be just as harmful as substance abuse. Eating unhealthy foods, such as fried food and sugar, is as big a part of the problem as how much you eat.

In Sweden, 6 % of the total population have a DSM-IV alcohol abuse and/or dependence diagnosis and 1.4 % of the population have a DSM-IV diagnosis of abuse of and/or dependence on illicit substances . Many of those with an alcohol use disorder also have a drug use disorder and vice versa. Abuse of a single drug or alcohol alone is relatively rare among patients in substance abuse treatment . Comorbidity between substance/alcohol abuse and other psychiatric disorders is common with 50 % having at least one more disorder.