By Sheila Dwyer, Body1 Staff
Reviewed by Dr. Jack Wylie
Drug addicts who have trouble breaking their cocaine habits may have a new treatment available to them: the ancient Chinese therapy of acupuncture. Study results recently reported by the Archives of Internal Medicine show that acupuncture may be an effective complement to traditional drug rehabilitation programs.
Since the 1970s, acupuncture has been administered at hundreds of drug treatment facilities with positive anecdotal results. It was used in most cases to help ease withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings and became known as a helpful component in the treatment of drug addiction. Acupuncture was also appealing to drug treatment specialists because it is a low-cost alternative to a disorder with few clear treatment options.
Researchers from the division of substance abuse in the department of psychiatry at Yale University recently worked with 82 cocaine addicts who were also receiving methadone treatment for heroin addiction. One-third of the patients received acupuncture at specific treatment points on the outer ear; another third (a control group) had needles stuck into their ears at non-specific points; and the last third (another control group) watched relaxing videotapes but received no acupuncture treatments. All participants also received counseling.
Researchers took urine samples from the subjects three times a week to test for cocaine use. Results showed that patients who underwent true acupuncture had less cocaine usage than the control groups. During the last week of treatment, 55 percent of the true acupuncture subjects tested free of cocaine. Only 23 percent of the acupuncture control group tested free of the drug, and 9 percent of the relaxation group had the same results.
The experts undertaking the study admit that they are stymied by how the acupuncture helps cocaine addicts, or what physical changes take place. Possibly, inserting needles into the ear creates a pleasant feeling in the body because it releases substances in the body. Another theory is that acupuncture promotes relaxation.
Research in the field of drug abuse rarely offers solutions because the subjects are so unstable. They tend to relapse chronically into their drug addiction after a brief period of sobriety. Acupuncture may be useful as part of a traditional treatment regimen because it forces the addict to relax and develop a healthier mental process, which helps them to concentrate on kicking the habit.
This study offers no definitive answers regarding how to treat cocaine abusers. This Yale study was so well controlled and yielded such positive results that it begs more research in the field of complementary medicine.
References:
www.webmd.com
www.onhealth.com
Leinwand, Donna (2000, August). Acupuncture may cure cocaine addiction. USA Today.
