Acupuncture & Cigarette Smoking

A few quick facts:

• Cigarette smoking has been identified as the most important source of preventable morbidity and premature mortality in the United States and the world.

• Smoking-related diseases cause an estimated 440,000 American deaths each year.
  Smoking costs the United States over $150 billion annually in health care costs.

• A 2004 Study by the CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion found that cigarette smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer.

• Women account for 39 percent of all smoking deaths.

Acupuncture as an alternative approach to smoking cessation has a growing number of advocates. My own practice confirms that if an individual is highly motivated and ready to quit, acupuncture can help them begin a healthy and smoke-free life. In fact, regardless of how long a person has smoked or how heavily he or she has smoked, the procedure is the same and is equally effective. I personally follow up with every person I treat and continue to be impressed by the program’s simplicity and efficacy.

This amazingly successful protocol calls for two 1-hour sessions. Typically, the first session is conducted in the evening and the second session is administered the following morning. During each treatment, extremely small, sterile needles are inserted into specific points in the ears to which mild electrical stimulation is applied. In addition, insertion points are chosen in each of the hands and feet. The needles are removed, and never reused. That is it!

The treatment is designed to get a person beyond the point of craving the effects of nicotine. To facilitate these goals, counseling is provided in addition to the acupuncture, and an herbal formulation is available (often made into tea) to manage withdrawal symptoms.

To learn more, or to schedule your first session, contact us today.  A related article can be found here.
 

5945 West Main, Suite 100 ▪ Kalamazoo, MI 49009
269.353.4833 T ▪ chasadams@charter.net