Quit Smoking with Acupuncture

At Kwan Acupuncture & Herbs, we can help you quit smoking. Everyone who smokes would like to quit, but it is not easy. It takes a highly motivated and open-minded person to look to acupuncture for assistance to quit smoking. The reasons to quit smoking are many and varied. There are those who may have developed symptoms from smoking, such as shortness of breath, chronic cough, or increased frequency of colds and other chronic illness. Others might not be experiencing negative health effects yet, but want to prevent possible future effects from smoking. Some decide to stop smoking when a loved one develops a smoking-related illness such as emphysema or lung cancer.

Nicotine addiction is as strong or stronger than cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol addictions. Smokers who go without a cigarette will often have strong physical and psychological reactions to nicotine deprivation, such as anxiety, irritability, restlessness, nervousness, difficulty concentrating, poor sleep, increases in craving and appetite, headaches, and fatigue.

Our acupuncture program for smoking cessation consists of ten visits. Before your first treatment, there is a detailed questionnaire that gathers information about your history and health background. The helps the practitioner identify the behaviors, habits, and triggers that cause you to light up. In addition, a physical exam including blood pressure, lung exam, and techniques from Traditional Oriental Medicine such as pulse palpation and tongue observation are performed. Every patient's acupuncture treatment is tailor-made and designed especially for you. You will learn to identify your triggers for smoking and how to avoid them. Acupuncture can reduce the cravings and lessen the withdrawal symptoms associated with your efforts to quit smoking. Moreover, you may be prescribed herbs or supplements to control cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Exercise is encouraged and dietary recommendations are given (foods to avoid and foods to include during the withdrawal phase). Sometimes small metal balls called ear seeds are taped onto specific points on the ear to reduce cravings.