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Acupuncture and the
Addictions
Acupuncture has been used in mainland China and the Far East for
many years in the treatment of addictions, primarily, hard drugs.
Acupuncture and Smoking
What are the common withdrawal symptoms associated to stop-smoking
(without the help of acupuncture)?
Withdrawal Symptoms>Duration Proportion>Affected
Increase appetite >10 wks 70%
Craving > 2 wks 70%
Depression < 4 wks 60%
Restlessness < 4 wks 60%
Poor concentration < 2 wks 60%
Irritability/Aggression < 4wks 50%
Night time awakenings < 1 wk 25%
*Source: http//www.ash.org.uk/html/factsheets
What causes weight gain and craving after
quitting?
The possibility of weight gain is often of particular concern to
those who want to give up smoking. When nicotine, a chemical in
cigarette smoke, leaves your body, you may experience:
" Short-term weight gain. The nicotine
kept your body weight low, and when you quit smoking, your body
returns to the weight it would have been had you never smoked.
" You might gain 3 to 5 pounds due to
water retention during the first week after quitting.
" A need for fewer calories. After you
stop smoking, you may use fewer calories than when you were smoking.
For more information about our stop-smoking program, please contact
CHINESE NATURE-CURE INSTITUTE, 545 Orchard Rd, Far East Shopping
Centre, #03-06, Singapore 238882. 6732 7907, 6734 5330 ttang@chinesenaturecure.com
How can acupuncture help stop-smoking?
Probably the most common addiction the acupuncturist
is called upon to treat is smoking. The basic principle as with
all anti-addiction treatment is that the person should be willing
to receive the help to give up - you cannot force someone to give
up, nor should you, against their will.
The fundamental treatment is to stimulate acu-points which are capable
of transmitting messages down nerve pathways to the brain, and instituting
change in the chemistry of appetite. If you take in a substance
for long enough which is addictive, the encephalins or "brain
chemical messengers" make room for it and allow it to become
necessary to the chemical balance. If you then remove the substance
e.g., nicotine, and do not balance the chemistry, the brain is thrown
into shock which causes what we all know as withdrawal symptoms
(refer to table). The acupuncture technique basically rebalances
the chemistry, thus avoiding withdrawal symptoms. In effect, acupuncture
balances and restores conditions to that which applied when you
were a non-smoker.
In addition, it is also not uncommon for patients to leave the office
feeling calm and relaxed. Patients usually won't crave food, as
when necessary, we will also treat the mouth and pancreas point.
Within a few hours your body begins to heal itself. The carbon monoxide
and nicotine in your system rapidly disappears. Your heart and lungs
begin to repair the damage caused by smoking. Your sense of taste
and smell will return. Your smoker's hack will disappear and your
digestion will return to normal. You will climb a flight of stairs
without being winded. Best of all, you will feel alive, clear headed,
full of energy, and breathing easier.
Very frequently, after acupuncture, many
smokers also experience an unpleasant taste in the mouth, which
gets aggravated with cigarettes. They will have no more desire to
smoke.
Main Points Selected
ECIWO Lung - Lu 7 - H 7
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