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ADDICTION TREATMENT
Using Acupuncture in Addiction Treatment
Holistic addiction treatments use all-natural recovery methods to help promote sobriety. One of these methods is acupuncture, a heavily-studied healing technique that has been used for centuries to treat a wide variety of problems. Fully understanding the nature of acupuncture and how it can be used to manage addiction can help you decide whether it is right for you and your recovery needs.
How can Acupuncture Help with Addiction?
Addiction creates a body-wide imbalance that affects the physical and mental health of anyone who suffers from it. In combination with proven treatment methods, acupuncture may help some patients restore some of this balance by managing a few of its symptoms.
The origin of these benefits may lie in the way that acupuncture promotes dopamine production. In a study on acupuncture and opiate addiction, it was found that “Manual acupuncture (MA) and EA (electronic acupuncture) are capable of triggering a chain of events… EA of low frequency (2 Hz) accelerated the release of β-endorphin and enkephalin in the CNS whereas EA of high frequency (100 Hz) accelerated the release of dynorphin.”
The release of these chemicals could help manage the physical and emotional pain of opiate addiction and withdrawal. For example, dopamine will naturally decrease the pain of withdrawal and create a more pleasurable state of mind. Understanding this impact is crucial to gauging how effective acupuncture is in treating various forms of addiction.
What form does this treatment take?
The first step in an acupuncture treatment is to examine your health history, including the length of your addiction, the psychological aspects of it and any physical health problems that may contribute to it. They will ask about physical pain and stress to get a feel for your case.
After that simple step, they will examine your tongue, your pulse and a few other aspects of your health to gauge any underlying effects of your addiction. This is crucial, as there may health problems that you’ve either missed or didn’t understand could contribute to addiction. For example, arthritis pain may be severe enough to cause a person to abuse painkillers to manage it.
Once your health has been assessed, a variety of acupuncture treatments to treat your physical pain and promote relaxation. As mentioned before, massages and ointments may be applied to your skin. However, a majority of your treatment will be the insertion of needles into the body at precise points. The needles are inserted slowly and with great stability, in order to minimize pain potential. Needles are typically kept in the skin between five to 30 minutes or so.
In some instances, individual needles may need to be twirled, heated or otherwise manipulated to increase their effectiveness. After the predetermined time, the needles are carefully removed from your skin and another massage or oil treatment may be applied. Multiple treatments of acupuncture can be performed in a week, depending on your own needs and enjoyment of the treatment.
Can Acupuncture be used on its own?
While acupuncture may help some patients with addiction, it isn’t a good idea to use it as a singular treatment. Think of it as an alternative or supplemental treatment. For example, while acupuncture may ease many of the symptoms of withdrawal, those in recovery should still receive a medical detox.
The most effective use of acupuncture in treating addiction may be how it promotes relaxation and pain relief. Stress and physical suffering often go hand-in-hand with addiction, and acupuncture can decrease both in a natural way. While anti-anxiety and depression medications are still necessary for those who suffer from severe symptoms, acupuncture can help.
The best way to think of acupuncture in addiction treatment is as a comforting and natural tool. Remember, there is no singular treatment method that covers all addiction recovery needs. For example, while tapered detoxification only manages the physical side of addiction, it is still a necessary step in the process. In a similar way, acupuncture has a useful, if specific, function in recovery.