Another MUST TRY - Using Acupuncture to Give Up Smoking

So far, there's no single, foolproof way to quit smoking, but using acupuncture to give up smoking can really help. Experts caution, however, that your chances of healing will be better if acupuncture is used as part of more comprehensive, multi-approach therapy.

Clinical studies have indeed shown that a multi-approach solution is most effective in breaking tobacco's addictive power. So what's available to you?

All or some of the following can form part of a multi-approach treatment:

• Cigarette replacement with a patch or gum
• Supports groups
• Behavioral therapy
• Exercise to gain and maintain a healthy lifestyle
• Acupuncture

Although an adjunctive therapy for smokers, there are very few studies that show acupuncture achieving even modest success.

But experts agree that as long as you can be certain that the procedure will be sanitary (meaning, you won't risk infection with a dirty needle), then there's no reason why you shouldn't try acupuncture if it will make you quit.

Using Acupuncture to Give Up Smoking - Where to Begin

The first thing to do is to find a licensed acupuncturist. Since acupuncture is classified as alternative medicine, there is no single board or commission in America that licenses its practitioners.

One licensing body is NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine). There is also an American Academy of Medical Acupuncture http://www.medicalacupuncture.org/index.html), which has medical doctors affiliated with it.

Your safest bet is to find a licensed physician or GP who happens to also practice acupuncture. It'll probably cost you more, but at least a general practitioner can truly assess your entire medical condition.

If you can't find a medical doctor who performs acupuncture, ask your doctor to recommend an acupuncturist.

Using Acupuncture to Give Up Smoking - What to Expect

If your acupuncturist is not your regular doctor, he will usually first ask you several questions during your initial visit.

If all you tell him is that you're interested in using acupuncture to give up smoking and he preps you for the procedure, don't let him do it. Some lifestyle assessment and expectation leveling, at least, should be done first.

1. Acupuncture prices vary and therapy may last from a few days to two weeks. Many insurance companies cover acupuncture treatment so check first before paying out of pocket.
2. Your acupuncturist may suggest laser acupuncture. If you prefer it, check first if it's still covered under your health plan.
3. The most common acupuncture points for smokers trying to quit are the ears.
4. Needles must of course be sterilized.
5. Acupuncture's best results are reduced cravings, less withdrawal symptoms, and even aversion to tobacco smoke.

If you still feel like a smoke after a couple of weeks and can't control your cravings, try intensifying the other components of the multi-approach treatment. Sometimes, a really taxing workout can motivate you better than many sessions with an acupuncturist.