Acupuncture for Smoking Cessation

This randomized, controlled trial published in the Journal of the Chinese Medical Association investigated the efficacy of auricular acupuncture for smoking cessation in 131 adults who wanted to stop smoking. Participants were divided into a treatment group receiving acupuncture at smoking-cessation-related points and a control group receiving sham acupuncture at non-smoking-cessation-related points for 8 weeks.

At the end of the treatment, both groups showed a significant decrease in cigarette consumption, but only the treatment group experienced a significant decrease in nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Smoking cessation rates showed no significant difference between the treatment (27.1%) and control (20.3%) groups at the end of the treatment or at the end of the 6-month follow-up.

The study concluded that auricular acupuncture did not have better efficacy than sham acupuncture for smoking cessation and suggested combining acupuncture with behavior counseling or nicotine replacement therapy to enhance success rates.

Note about sham acupuncture

In most of these studies sham acupuncture uses points that are either not true acupuncture points or they use points that are not supposed to work for the given condition that they are treating. This means that even with the worst acupuncturist, that uses either incorrect points or misses them altogether, that you will most likely derive benefit from the session. 

This study published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine aimed to determine if acupuncture could help reduce cigarette withdrawal symptoms and lessen the body’s response to smoking-related cues in smokers. The researchers divided the participants into two groups: one group received real acupuncture (RA) at a specific point, and the other group received sham acupuncture (SA) at a different point.

On the third day after quitting smoking, the participants’ cigarette withdrawal symptoms were measured using a scale called the Cigarette Withdrawal Scale (CWS). The researchers also compared the participants’ heart rate variability (HRV) while they were shown neutral and smoking-related images.

The results showed that the real acupuncture group had significantly lower withdrawal symptoms than the sham acupuncture group. The real acupuncture group also had a smaller increase in their heart rate variability when exposed to smoking-related images compared to the sham acupuncture group. This means that acupuncture not only reduced cigarette withdrawal symptoms but also weakened the body’s response to smoking cues during withdrawal.

In conclusion, these findings suggest that acupuncture might help people quit smoking by reducing withdrawal symptoms and weakening the body’s response to smoking-related cues.

This study published in Medical Acupuncture aimed to explore the effects of painless laser acupuncture (PLA) on a group of highly motivated individuals who wanted to quit smoking. Painless laser acupuncture is a technique where low-level laser energy is applied to specific ear and body acupuncture points to support the body’s balance and overall well-being.

The study included 175 participants, mostly in their early 30s to 50s, who were highly motivated and stressed. Most of them smoked 1 pack of cigarettes (20 cigarettes) per day, with a few smoking more than 1 pack per day. They received PLA treatment in a total of 7 sessions.

The results showed that the patients were generally satisfied with the treatment. Among the 24 female participants, 21 (87.5%) stopped smoking after completing the 7 sessions. Two women reported that they smoked 1-2 cigarettes per day, even though they didn’t have strong cravings, and one woman (4.12%) smoked 2-3 cigarettes per day.

In conclusion, the PLA technique for quitting smoking, combined with the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, not only helps smokers stop smoking but also restores their balance and good health. By choosing the best ear and body acupuncture points and applying the right amount of laser energy, the healing process can be enhanced.

 The following information comes from the book Acupuncture Therapy for Neurological Diseases

Change in Taste and Mouth Environment

Acupuncture may help people quit smoking by changing their sense of taste. Long-term smokers often have an increased tolerance for bitter tastes. After acupuncture treatment, some smokers report that cigarettes taste different, such as bitter, tasteless, or even sweet, leading to a reduced desire to smoke. Acupuncture may also help by changing the pH levels in the mouth, throat, and stomach. Some research even shows that after acupuncture for smoking cessation it caused patients to feel dizzy and cough more when they started to smoke again.  

Impact on Neuroendocrinology

Acupuncture could help with smoking cessation by regulating hormone levels and the nervous system. Smokers often have increased levels of certain hormones and neurotransmitters, adrenaline, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, noradrenalin, dioxyphenylalanine, and dopamine. Acupuncture treatment has been shown to decrease these levels, potentially reducing cravings for nicotine.

Improved Cardiorespiratory Function

Acupuncture may also benefit smokers by improving their heart and lung function. One study found that blood flow to the lungs increased after acupuncture treatment, allowing more oxygen to reach lung tissues. Acupuncture has also been suggested to counteract some of the negative effects of nicotine on red blood cells, potentially helping with smoking cessation.

A multi-center randomized trial published in the journal Chest was conducted in China to compare the effectiveness of acupuncture, auricular point pressing, and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for tobacco cessation. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three treatment groups for eight weeks, with a follow-up visit at 16 weeks. The primary outcome was carbon monoxide (CO)-confirmed 24-hour point abstinence rate at 24 weeks after quitting.

Results

Out of 300 participants, 195 completed the study with a dropout rate of 35%. At 24 weeks, the CO-confirmed 24-hour point abstinence rate was 43% in the acupuncture group, similar to the 44% in the NRT group, but significantly higher than the 30% in the auricular point group. Additionally, the acupuncture group had significantly lower nicotine dependence and withdrawal scores compared to the other two groups. Time to relapse for acupuncture (44.12 days) was longer than NRT (41.18 days) and significantly longer than auricular point pressing (29.53 days).

The number of treatments that it takes to treat any given condition is based on a great number of factors. Some of these factors can include: how long you have had said condition, age, dietary and lifestyle factors, willingness to perform self care at home, etc. It would also be safe to say that this medicine isn’t magic and no condition will be fully resolved after one treatment. However with that being said, many patients often leave the office with less pain than they started with and feeling more relaxed. 

At The Subtle Point, we offer a variety of services that can run from 5 minutes to as long as an hour. Initial appointments, however, are one hour long. During that appointment we will go over your health intake form, go over the estimated amount of treatments that will get you to your optimal health, go over the treatment methods that will be utilized, herbal medicine, dietary and lifestyle advice, and more. 

For the most part, no you don’t. I typically try and utilize points below the elbows and knees, sometimes around the belly, and sometimes on the back. Because of this I highly recommend that you come in wearing loose, comfortable clothing to allow easy access to these areas. 

To schedule an appointment you can call, send us an email, or book online by clicking on the “Book Now” button in the upper right portion of the screen. 

We accept cash, check, and credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover). 

At this time I am not accepting insurance, but I can give you an invoice/superbill to give to your insurance company for reimbursement.