ACUPUNCTURE SMOKING TREATMENT

white cigarette stick on white wall

Acupuncture Smoking Treatment

Some reports suggest there is no evidence for the beneficial effect of acupuncture smoking treatment on smoking reduction and cessation.

A Norwegian study showed otherwise, demonstrating that :

  1. different acupuncture points have different effects on smoking reduction,
  2. appropriate acupuncture treatment can help smokers reduce their cigarette consumption or quit entirely, and that the effects last at least five years, and
  3. that acupuncture alters the subjective taste of smoking.

 

The study, designed to determine the long-term benefits of acupuncture on smoking cessation, randomly assigned 46 smokers (smoking around 20 cigarettes a day) to a treatment group or to a control group.

The treatment group received 2 treatments a week for 3 weeks at known effective anti-smoking points whilst the control group received similar treatment but at presumed ineffective points. Both groups were asked to simulate ear points four times daily during the acupuncture smoking treatment period.

During the study period, cigarette consumption fell on average by 14 cigarettes per day for the treatment group, and 7 cigarettes per day in the control group.

What happened next?

For both groups during the following 8 months, reported cigarette consumption rose on average by 5-7 cigarettes. There was no systematic change thereafter.

Thus the treatment group showed a maintained reduction in overall smoking with no change in the control group.

The acupuncture smoking treatment group reported that cigarettes tasted worse than before the treatments. Also their desire to smoke fell. For the treatment group the serum concentration of cotinine fell, confirming the reports of reduced smoking.

After the final treatment, 32% of the smokers in the treatment group had quit smoking.

Eight months after the end of the treatment, 23% still did not smoke, a figure which fell to 18% after 5 years.

NONE of the smokers in the control group had quit smoking at either of those follow-up periods. (JCM Feb 2002: report from Preventive Medicine 2001;33:364-372)

Successful acupuncture smoking treatment saves you money!
How much did each cigarette stub cost you?

What Happens if you ask us for Acupuncture Smoking Treatment?

At Lothian Acupuncture (part of the Edinburgh Natural Health Centre), if someone asks for acupuncture to stop smoking, we take his or her individual health history and diagnose the condition according to Chinese Medicine.

This is so that we not only do the appropriate anti-smoking treatment but we are also aware of and can treat any underlying condition. Underlying condition? … like pain, stress, respiratory illness, asthma etc. That is because in our experience, if we don’t do that, people find it harder to stop and are more likely to start smoking again.

If you are feeling much better, you will feel less stressed and more able to stop smoking completely.

Over the last 41 years we have treated many thousands of people to stop smoking. We frequently hear from people who have never had another cigarette and continue to recommend their friends to us.

Just ONE treatment?

It is NOT true that ONE acupuncture smoking treatment is all you’ll need! That depends on your underlying health and what other health problems you have or medications you take. When you come, we’ll discuss with you whether there are any ‘triggers’ which make you smoke and what to do about them.

But if

  • you want to stop
  • you have no other health problems
  • there is no ongoing life issue causing you considerable stress (For more, click on Strain and Chinese medicine)

 

then, like many others, you may be able to stop after one treatment.

Over the ensuing months your sense of smell will improve, your skin will look better, you’ll sleep better, your lungs will gradually improve and you may start getting acute respiratory infections again.

WHAT?!! Yes, you may start catching colds again – but that shows your immune system is keeping the bugs on the outside rather than letting them into your lungs! Click to read what Chinese medicine says your Lungs do.

Ear Acupuncture Smoking Treatment

Often, but not always, acupuncture smoking treatment is done in your ears. For this, you just lie back comfortably on the couch.

Acupuncture on your arms, legs and body

Acupuncture smoking treatment on upper back, a yang area.
Acupuncture for Health!

However, much more can be done if we use other points on your body, arms or legs. Ear acupuncture is a comparitively new form of the treatment although it was briefly mentioned in ancient texts.

Read what Chinese medicine and acupuncture thinks about the effects of smoking. (Including vapes!)

In fact, all the acupuncture treatments I’ve ever received have been on the body, arms or legs, and I think this is true for nearly everyone who’s had acupuncture. But some people do specialise in ear acupuncture, and I use it a lot for certain treatments.

Acupuncture on  your body, arms and legs, has a huge theory behind it, founded in the basic texts which are between 2000 and 3000 years old. These basic ideas have been further evolved in the last 2000 years by some of the most intelligent doctors who ever lived.

Today such acupuncture is used in every country round the world and increasingly researched. Click here for a summary of Acupuncture Benefits. Acupuncture smoking treatment is a tiny percentage of the total treatments given! Also, we often use other therapies covered by the term ‘acupuncture’, including cupping and moxa: sometimes Chinese Herbs too.

Common Diseases treated with Acupuncture

If you look at the top of this page you’ll see a heading for ‘Diseases‘. Click on that to see how Chinese medicine, and acupuncture, explain and treat many modern illnesses.

Or read up about yin and yang, which describe a way of looking at your health – and life – from a radically different perspective. And remember, acupuncture uses no medication, though of course, Chinese herbal prescriptions do contain herbs.

But, in our opinion, you’ll get far fewer side-effects – if any – from treatment than you’d get from many modern medications. (For more on side-effects, read our page on Primary and Secondary Actions of foods, herbs and drugs.)

Make an appointment for acupuncture! Click https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=11815825

Jonathan Brand colours

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