Using Acupuncture To Quit Smoking

Using Acupuncture To Help Stop Smoking

Do you smoke? Do you want to quit? Do you have a friend or family member 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 12-step programs for helping deal with any addictions. By addressing the physiological component outlined in this article, you will succeed!)

How Will Acupuncture Help Me To Quit?
If you’ve ever tried to quit smoking on you own, 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 fanatic…..because their bodies are 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 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 the endorphins are replaced by an addictive substance which 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 (or carbohydrates or sweets, or all of the above)?
When you stop smoking, 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 produce endorphins. Nicotine 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 of more!

How Many Treatments Will It Take?
In general, it takes six acupuncture treatments to reactivate the natural production 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 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 adrenal glands. Tyrosine and Gutamine along with P5P will help, as will GABA, 5HTP, and Theanine. We also use homeopathic Tabacum and Nux vomica.

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. All this will be addressed at your first appointment.

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 happens is that if you smoke under stress, your body becomes lazy again and stops producing endorphins altogether. You may then get easily dependent on nicotine to take the place of endorphins.

The ANSWER is for you to make a commitment to yourself that if you are under stress and are tempted to start smoking again, you MUST come in for a couple of 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, you must “pre-program” yourself now to come in for the tune-up treatments if ever you should feel yourself slipping.

My most successful patients continue coming in for monthly tune-ups over the long term and a year or two latter, they all thank me for insisting they stick to this program!

Is Acupuncture For You?
The way out of nicotine addiction is for some people easy, and for some, not so easy. Acupuncture treatment offers substantial help IF YOU HAVE THE DETERMINATION TO QUIT, and you don’t want to suffer through it on your own!If you have decided you are going to quit, I extend my personal invitation to you to let me help by offering support through the same acupuncture treatments, herbs, homeopathic remedies, and nutritional supplements that have proven effective for so many of my friends and clients.

Quotable Quotes
“I never liked needles. In fact, I was always so afraid of needles I considered myself a needle-phobic”. But after my first acupuncture treatment I realized it was just a breeze. It was just the thought of needles that bothered me, but they were so small, I never even felt enything!” —D.R., Financial Analyst
“Acupuncture is the only way to quit smoking. It was so easy! I felt absolutely no withdrawal symptoms and felt fantastic. Thanks Randy” —H.B., Airline Attendant, Actress
“Without your acupuncture treatments, I doubt we would have ever stopped smoking. We had a two-pack a day habit for over nine years. After your treatment we walked away from smoking and (seven years later) have never inhaled again.” —S. S., Attorney
As Always, I am, Yours, In Health, Naturally —