By Marieke A. Pieterman
Are you desperately trying to stop smoking but finding it too difficult? Is your nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) not doing enough to help you quit smoking?
It is estimated that 37.8 million adults in the U.S. smoke cigarettes -- and more than 42 percent of those live with a smoking-related disease. Don’t become another statistic. Studies say you can boost the NRT’s effects by adding acupuncture to your life.
This particular research was a historical longitudinal study. The participants were 148 Republic of Korea Air Force soldiers, who had visited the clinic over a period of six months with the intention of seeking help to quit smoking.
The smoking cessation program was a six-week long treatment period with two additional follow-ups -- at three months and six months. All research participants received behavior counseling focused on helping the participant to stop smoking. Prior to and after the treatment course, research participants were asked to complete a nicotine-withdrawal survey. Participants chose to receive either: 1) only NRT, otherwise known as “the patch” (n=62) or 2) nicotine NRT with auricular (ear) acupuncture (n=86).
The results found that both groups reported significantly lower nicotine withdrawal scores after the treatment was completed. The combined therapy of both NRT and auricular acupuncture resulted in a significant difference in those who remained abstinent from tobacco at the six-month follow-up period. The combined therapy group achieved a 47.7 percent tobacco abstinence rate; in other words, around 41 people quit -- versus the NRT therapy alone group, which achieved a 30.6 percent tobacco abstinence rate – or a success rate of 19 people quitting.
Ready to snuff out those cigarettes once and for all? Let Holistic Heart Acupuncture help! Set up your treatment plan to receive auricular acupuncture for smoking cessation on a regular basis in addition to your counseling and NRT.
Effectiveness of auricular acupuncture combined with nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation
http://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/Effectiveness-of-auricular-acupuncture-combined-with-nicotine-nreplacement-therapy,94328,0,2.html