Acupuncture against smoking

Heard this one before? "Nothing is easier than stopping smoking. I have given up about twenty times during the past few years."

Of course, for a smoker it is hard to stop smoking and it is often too difficult to do it alone. And it is nothing to be ashamed of if the first attempt does not lead to success. Giving up smoking often means a great change in the normal functioning of the body. To advise ill or old people that they stop smoking is thus rather dubious. Withdrawal requires a lot more energy than sick people have at their disposal.

Of course, there are always those phlegmatic people who claim to have stopped smoking without any help. And some of them really don't seem to have any problems. It should be kept in mind that a sensitive and nervous individual (even after a brief time as a smoker) can be far more addicted to nicotine than a strong person.

There are two forms of treatment: the first is the "normal" acupuncture once a week, the second the use of permanent needles which stay in the patient's ear for around two weeks. Permanent needles are to be preferred if the patient is in good health. Their continuous stimulation of the acupuncture points is extremely effective.

It is certain that ear-acupuncture generally removes all the withdrawal symptoms such as trembling, nervousness, aggression, circulatory disorders, nausea, etc., and it has been proved that the patient has no physical need to smoke. But it is also clear that a "militant" smoker smokes even if the cigarette has a disagreeable taste. Colds or other illnesses do not represent an obstacle. "There's no relaxation and no pleasure without a cigarette!"

Smoking is a strong habit as well. The hands, often symptoms of insecurity during a conversation can be kept busy holding a cigarette. How elegant, how self-confident and how "complete" smokers feel while holding a glass of champagne in one hand and a cigarette in the other. And how lost they are when the cigarette has been put out and they are left without a "crutch". Smoking is not a mere physical desire but a psychological support, too. It is vital that patients understand this. They must realise that (in spite of all the help we can provide) they must have the will to stop smoking. Withdrawal can only be successful when carried through consistently, even with a therapy.

From the first day of treatment on the patient has to realise that he or she DOES NOT SMOKE. ("I am a non-smoker!").

Treatment with homeopathic medicine while using permanent needles is not necessary. But it can be of help before or/and after the therapy, when the patient still exhibits symptoms.

The permanent needles should be used as follows: in case of a right-handed person the first puncture has to be made in the left ear. After two weeks, the needles then have to be inserted in the right ear, and finally, after another two weeks the procedure has to be repeated in the left ear again. In my experience it has been of help to conduct an initiatory pre-treatment in each ear before puncturing commences.

It is absolutely essential that the patient has not smoked the day the treatment starts. The first reason is that patients will experience the feeling of release that the acupuncture provides, since they can probably feel the first withdrawal symptoms. The more important reason is that it is easier to find the relevant points in the ear. If the patient has smoked before treatment he or she will have just eliminated the very symptoms that are reflected in the important points in the ear, and which will consequently be very difficult to find.

Picture smoking/permanent needles

The following points are to be punctured:

1. "Anti-aggression" - this point is located on the lobulus below the incisura intertragica. It has to be punctured from below, going up into the cartilage.

2. "Desire" If one draws a horizontal line through the aggression-point to the edge of the ear, the desire-point is located in the point of intersection on the very edge of the lobulus.

3. One point in the lung-area in the lower concha. A virulent point has to be found in the area between the pharynx-point and the entrance to the stomach. It should be as close as possible to the crus helix. Heavy smokers are highly sensitive at this point and usually you will find it displaying noticeable indentations. If the person has not been smoking for a long period of time, the point will be located nearer to the pharynx-point. The point is located closer to the stomach area underneath the crus helix if the person is a long term-smoker.

If there is no indication for using the permanent needles, the following points should be punctured in addition to the initiatory basic-treatment, if these are virulent. Treatment should take place once a week, and at least five treatment sessions will be necessary.

The following points are to be treated:

Lung (be careful to find the right point), respiratory command point, tissue (Polster), sun, anti-aggression, Vegetativum I, Shen-men, frustration, desire

Picture smoking/ accompanying acupuncture

A supplementary therapy such as homeopathy is not usually indicated during the treatment. If some other supplementary help is needed, the patient can chew a mixture of calamus roots and liquorice. This will be very beneficial for gallbladder and liver. The very strong taste will mean that there will be no desire to smoke a cigarette.

If there are any withdrawal symptoms after completion of treatment, then supplementary therapy will be required.

Depending on the symptoms the patient shows, the most important homeopathic medicines are Staphisagria D 30 or Tabacum D 30.