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Use Acupuncture To Quit Smoking
Every day, thousands of individuals all over the world vow to themselves to quit smoking but end up watching their own resolution go up in flames. People who have previously tried to quit smoking are the only ones who can actually realize how hard it is to do so. This is because the addiction of nicotine is quite powerful and it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine for some people.
Acupuncture has been used as an alternative approach for relieving the smoking addiction. It has gathered an increasingly high amount of followers and converts. In fact, acupuncture is the preference of court mandated treatments to quit smoking. This is because of its amazing ability to minimize the withdrawal symptoms and manage the tobacco cravings.
It takes an estimate of two to three tries for a smoker to actually quit according to research. Smokers usually begin with the conventional methods including nicotine gum or nicotine patches. After these methods fail, smokers look for other methods outside the mainstream options or turn to alternative medicines. When looking for other methods they usually come across acupuncture treatment to help them quit smoking.
Acupuncture is nothing magical or it isn’t a panacea for treating any and all addictions, including tobacco addiction. However, acupuncture makes it much easier to quit and stay away from smoking ever again. The only thing you need to have is a strong willpower and the determination to quit. When you have these factors in yourself, acupuncture can help you take complete control to start a better, healthier and smoke-free life.
The Smoking Addiction
There are more than fifty million Americans who smoke tobacco and almost seven million use smoke-free tobacco. These numbers are much higher in other parts of the world. According to worldwide statistics, almost one in three people above the age of 18 are smokers.
What most people do not understand is that smoking is very dangerous for your health. The reasons needed to quit smoking are almost endless. Cigarettes have more than 4,000 known poisons in them – all of which can easily kill someone if taken in high doses. So much so, one drop of pure nicotinic acid can kill a man in itself. More statistics show that approximately 440,000 people die each year because of tobacco use in the United States alone! And not to mention the chronic diseases and illnesses which are associated with tobacco smoking. Chronic cough, high blood pressure, lung cancer, mouth cancer, emphysema, shortness of breath and an increased frequency of colds and flu are just a few of the long list of illnesses smoking causes.
Sadly, even when smokers decide to quit, it is mostly influenced by the high expenses of buying cigarettes on a daily basis. Also, there is a huge amount of pressure by the society to quit smoking, which is another factor helping some people quit. People usually get rude comments or looks which discourages them from what they’re doing.
The Role of Acupuncture to Help Quit Smoking
Acupuncture has helped many people to change from chain smokers to permanent ex-smokers. As mentioned earlier, acupuncture is not some magical remedy for smoking. However, with enough will power and determination, acupuncture can easily and significantly reduce the tobacco and nicotine cravings along with any withdrawal symptoms associated with smoking.
Acupuncture programs usually include well-planned sessions including patient preparation, followed by patient commitment and patient education on what acupuncture is, what to expect from it and what not to expect.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is aimed at treating specific symptoms which are unique to each individual and use a number of techniques like Chinese herbs, lifestyle changes, dietary recommendations, bodywork and of course, acupuncture. All these treatments help to restore many imbalances found in the body.
In fact, your acupuncturist may even conduct an interview to find out more about each patient’s individual smoking habits and perform a physical exam on multiple areas of the body which can include your blood pressure, pulse rate, and observing your tongue. Any emotional and physical symptom you may be feeling will help the licensed acupuncturist to determine the perfect treatment plan and schedule for your needs.
Acupuncture treatments can focus more on the cravings, irritability and any restlessness you may face as a result of quitting. Acupuncture also helps in relaxation and detoxification of your body, further aiding your will power.
The Procedure
A licensed acupuncturist will target certain body parts for the treatment of certain symptoms. When it comes to helping smokers to quit, the main focus tends to be the ears. The acupuncture points found in the ears are the most effective for treating symptoms which are associated with quitting smoking. For more details on the acupuncture protocol, please click here: [Link]
In between the acupuncture sessions, patients can use “ear seeds” which is a form of acupressure. These ear seeds are tiny balls which are placed on the ear with an adhesive tape in certain targeted areas. This allows patients to self-treat themselves in the case of urgent cravings, or quicker treatment. This technique applies pressure to points located on the ear which relieves the temptations to smoke.
Basically, the pressure points in the ears are connected to the cranial nerves which stimulate the whole nervous system and help in suppressing the urge for cigarettes. However, acupuncture does not only focus on suppressing cravings but also on relaxing the body.
According to many studies it has been proven that the use of acupuncture treatments can help people quit smoking. Acupuncture points have been shown to stimulate certain areas of the brain that pump out large amounts of endorphins, which are basically our “happy” hormones, that make us feel good. For more facts on using acupuncture to help quit your smoking addiction please visit: [Link]
