USING ACUPUNCTURE TO HELP STOP SMOKING
And for Weight Loss or Other Addictions
by Dr. Randy Martin, OMD, PhD, QME, LAc
Do you smoke? Do you want to quit? Do you have a friend or family member whom you would like to see quit? If your answer to any of these questions is an emphatic YES, then please read on…
(NOTE: BY THE WAY, THIS SAME PROGRAM WILL WORK FOR WEIGHT LOSS AND FOR ANY OTHER ADDICTION. I AM ALSO A BIG SUPPORTER OF TWELVE-STEP PROGRAMS FOR HELPING TO DEAL WITH ANY ADDICTIONS. BY ADDRESSING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL COMPONENT OUTLINED IN THIS SECTION, YOU WILL SUCCEED!!!) .
How Will Acupuncture Help Me To Quit?
If you’ve ever tried to quit smoking on your own, then you know how difficult it can be. The reason is that your body has become chemically addicted to nicotine. Acupuncture can get you over this chemical addiction.
It does this in the following way: There are a group of hormones in your body called ENDORPHINS. An endorphin is a morphine-like substance that is produced naturally within your body.
These naturally-occurring endorphins are themselves addictive, but in a positive way. That is why joggers and people who exercise regularly are so fanatical – because their bodies are actually releasing endorphins as they exercise. They are addicted, but in a positive way!
What Do Endorphins Do?
Endorphins kill pain and give you the feeling of a “natural high”. They also reduce body tension, eradicate anxiety, and can induce a state of euphoria. To put it in simple terms, these morphine-like substances made make you feel good when an adequate supply is produced.
But the body stops producing endorphins under certain circumstances. One of these circumstances is when an addictive substance, which competes with them, replaces the endorphins, which, in turn, competes with them. Nicotine is one such substance.
How Does Nicotine Replace Endorphins?
Within your body, endorphins and nicotine occupy the same specific spot at the end of a nerve cell. When this specific spot at the end of a nerve cell is occupied by an endorphin, you will feel relaxed.
But when you smoke, then nicotine “wins out” over the endorphins and takes their place at the end of the nerve cell. THE RESULT? Your nerves get more excitable and you feel nervous, tense, stressed and irritable.
In long-term smoking, nicotine “permanently” takes the place of endorphins, since the body actually becomes lazy and “forgets” how to produce them.
Why Do I Crave Cigarettes (and carbohydrates and sweets and chocolate)?
When you stop smoking (or eating large quantities of carbs,) you not only end your supply of nicotine, but your body is also unable to manufacture the endorphins it has now forgotten how to produce.
The result is that your nervous system becomes very anxious and overly excited. Your body then begins to desire a supply of either nicotine or endorphins to calm it down. This results in the CRAVINGS you feel.
Since your production of endorphins has stopped, and nicotine is easier and quicker to obtain, there is a big risk that you may simply resort to smoking because nicotine is the most readily available way to end the craving and relax your body.
Unfortunately, you may never stop smoking long enough to allow your body the chance to begin producing endorphins again.
What Does Acupuncture Do?
Acupuncture replaces the need for nicotine by stimulating your body to start producing endorphins again.
Nicotine (and sugar) turns off your body’s production of endorphins. But acupuncture turns your body’s production of endorphins BACK ON, even if you have been smoking for twenty years or more!
How Many Treatments Will It Take?
In general, it takes six to ten acupuncture treatments to reactivate the natural production of endorphins in your body. But since each person is physiologically different, some people may need a few additional follow-up treatments.
Also, participating in a regular aerobic exercise program will make it easier to stop smoking by increasing the body’s natural release of endorphins.
You will also be given specific herbs, homeopathic remedies, and nutritional supplements to help curb your cravings, more quickly detoxify your lungs and liver, and boost the power you strengthen your adrenal glands.
The following will help a lot:
Tyrosine* and Gutamine*, along with P5P*, will help, as will GABA*, 5-HTP*, and Theanine*.
The homeopathic remedies Tabacum* and Nux vomica* are also used.
You will also need to drink at least a liter of water per day and eat healthy, high-protein meals. I also recommend you take an electrolyte supplement, such as Emergen-C*.
How Long Will This Work?
Once you have stopped smoking, your body and mind both need a chance to adjust to the new behavior. But if you are like many people, you may have a tendency to try a cigarette now and then, just “for the fun of it.”
A problem will occur, however, if you are under stress and you start smoking simultaneously.
When you are under stress your body stops the production of endorphins. What really actually happens is that if you smoke while under stress, your body becomes lazy again and stops producing endorphins altogether. You may then get easily become dependent on nicotine again to take the place of endorphins.
The ANSWER is for you to make a commitment to yourself and realize that if you are under stress and are tempted to start smoking again, you MUST come in for a couple of TUNE UP “tune-up” acupuncture treatments.
These tune-up treatments will be all that you’ll need to rebalance your body and to reactivate the process of releasing an adequate supply of endorphins. (A good diet and adequate exercise is also a MUST at these stressful times).
This applies to whether you have been off cigarettes for only two months or for two years or more. Whenever it is Whatever the case may be, you must “pre-program” yourself now to come in for the tune-up treatments if ever you should ever feel yourself slipping.
My most successful patients continue coming in for monthly tune-ups; over the long term a year or two later, they all thank me for insisting they stick to this program!
Is Acupuncture For You?
The way out of nicotine addiction is easy for some people; for others, however, easy, and for some, it’s not so easy. Acupuncture treatment offers substantial help IF YOU HAVE THE DETERMINATION TO QUIT, especially if and you don’t want to suffer through it on your own.
“….You Got To Love Your Acupuncturist….”
*Acupuncture*
*Homeopathy*
*Chinese Herbal Medicine*
*Nutritional Counseling and Diet*
Dr Randy Martin, OMD, LAc, PhD, CCH
Doctor of Chinese Medicine, Certified Classical Homeopath
Link to Dr. Martin’s Book on Amazon – also available as EBook
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Stop Smoking and Other Addictions with Acupuncture