Acupuncture is one of the therapies used in the system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In the TCM system of medicine, the body is viewed as a balance of energies. Among the major assumptions in TCM are that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and that disease is due to an internal imbalance of energies. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. It is believed that there are 12 main meridians and 8 secondary meridians and that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect with them.
Preclinical studies have documented acupuncture's effects, but they have not been able to fully explain how acupuncture works within the framework of the Western system of medicine that is commonly practiced in the United States. It has been proposed that acupuncture produces its effects through affecting internal biochemicals, such as pain-killing endorphins and immune system modulators in the body. Studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and, thus, affecting the central nervous system.
The effectiveness of acupuncture for drug withdrawal, including smoking cessation, has been proclaimed by acupuncturists since the early 1980’s. Much of the work in this area was stimulated by the reports of Michael Smith, M.D., who developed an acupuncture protocol for “drug detox” in the late 1970’s. His work focused especially on the use of ear acupuncture, following the work of French surgeon-acupuncturist Paul Nogier, M.D. Smith has also pursued the question of the nature of addiction and the setting required to help patients overcome addiction. Though Smith’s work was mainly involved with difficult inner-city drug problems like heroin addiction, the principles and methods have been applied to nicotine addiction in daily smokers. Explanations for the role of acupuncture in drug withdrawal, such as inducing enkephalins and endorphins to reduce the anxiety and stress as the blood levels of the drug decline, were proposed. The results of testing for these substances have been somewhat contradictory.
Several U.S. state and local governments have indicated their support by providing funds for acupuncture centers focusing on drug withdrawal for illegal drugs or illegal use of drugs (such as driving under the influence of alcohol). Such support continues throughout the world with many acupuncture-based substance abuse programs, many of them funded by governmental agencies. An organization to promote this methodology, the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA), was formed in 1988
Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely practiced in the United States. While there have been many studies of its potential usefulness, many of these studies provide equivocal results because of design, sample size, and other factors. The issue is further complicated by inherent difficulties in the use of appropriate controls, such as placebos and sham acupuncture groups. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful. (National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference statement 107: Acupuncture, 1997)
During the past 20 to 30 years, there have been a number of published reviews of acupuncture and smoking cessation research. While some recent studies suggest promising results, variations in treatment protocols and research design are inconsistent with evidence-based research methodologies. Overall, reviewers have concluded that the quality of research was generally poor and that the published results could neither support nor disprove the efficacy of acupuncture treatment for smoking cessation. (Bier, 2002; Cui, 1995; Cui, 1996; Culliton & Kiresuk, 1996; Dharmananda, 1999; He et al., 1997; He et al., 2001; Kang et al., 2005; USDHHS, 2000; Villano, 2004; White, 1999)
"There are. . .situations such as addiction. . .for which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program"
(National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference statement 107: Acupuncture, 1997).
