We know smoking causes serious health consequences, but unfortunately that doesn’t make quitting any easier. For thousands of Grand Rapids locals, the journey to a nicotine-less life is hard to navigate, and stopping smoking feels like an unsurpassable obstacle on their path to wellness.
The good news is that at Grand Wellness, we have seen many of our clients confront and overcome their addiction using acupuncture as a part of their strategy to finally quit smoking.
Stopping smoking requires a mind and body approach that targets both the physical and mental symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. For many, this takes lots of support to succeed in their smoking cessation goals. The good news is that because acupuncture effectively treats both the physical addiction and the mental stress that accompanies smoking cessation, it can be a very effective treatment.
Acupuncture is an effective treatment to help you quit smoking by minimizing cravings, strengthening willpower, and calming the nervous system. It works by intercepting messages sent by the brain to the body that demand more nicotine, thereby disrupting the addictive process. Generally, treatments reduce cravings from 20+ times to only 3-5 a day. It’s your responsibility to make it through those few cravings. Don’t worry we have tools to help!
Don’t just take our word for it… a growing body of scientific research shows that Acupuncture is useful for quitting smoking, particularly when combined with a holistic approach to breaking the addiction. One study of 46 men and women found that “Acupuncture may affect the subjects’ smoking by reducing their taste of tobacco and their desire to smoke.”1 Acupuncture also increases general wellness through detoxification and relaxation2, both of which help when you want to quit smoking.
Did you know that one powerful way that acupuncture can help you stop smoking is by making those cigarettes taste yucky? This remarkable effect is due to a little-known acupoint called the ‘Tim Mee.” While this point alone is unlikely to free you from the nicotine addiction, it pairs perfectly with points to calm those cravings, improve circulation and calm the nervous system.
The benefits of quitting smoking begin in as little as 20 minutes after your last cigarette! That repair process is kicked up a notch with the addition of Acupuncture and Herbal treatment. Research shows Acupuncture increases blood flow3 which allows nourishment and healing substances to reach every tissue in the body, including our lungs, liver, and the many other organs4 damaged by smoking.
Our team will guide you on simple techniques such as acupressure that you can do yourself in between treatments. We find that many of our patients regain control during moments of weakness with the help of deep breathing and pressure point massage.
Our smoking cessation plan begins with a complimentary consultation and includes 6 treatments over 3 weeks. While Acupuncture reduces cravings, the habit itself can be more difficult to conquer and avoiding all your triggers can be a struggle. But don’t worry, we have a long list of recommendations– including everything from beneficial food choices and breathing exercises to phone apps and support networks– to help you find the right combination of tools to succeed!
If you are one of the thousands of Grand Rapids locals struggling to beat a nicotine addiction, acupuncture may be the right choice for you. Give us a call today and schedule a complimentary consultation.
Take a deep breath, you got this!!!
1. He D, Medbø JI, Høstmark AT. Effect of acupuncture on smoking cessation or reduction: an 8-month and 5-year follow-up study. Prev Med. 2001 Nov;33(5):364-72. doi: 10.1006/pmed.2001.0901. PMID: 11676576.
2. Reilly, Patricia M. MSN, RN; Buchanan, Teresa M. MBA, RN; Vafides, Carol MAc, Lic Ac; Breakey, Suellen PhD, RN; Dykes, Patricia PhD, RN Auricular Acupuncture to Relieve Health Care Workers’ Stress and Anxiety, Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing: May/June 2014 – Volume 33 – Issue 3 – p 151-159 doi: 10.1097/DCC.0000000000000039
3. Takayama, S., Watanabe, M., Kusuyama, H., Nagase, S., Seki, T., Nakazawa, T., & Yaegashi, N. (2012). Evaluation of the effects of acupuncture on blood flow in humans with ultrasound color Doppler imaging. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2012, 513638. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/513638
4. Tsuru, H., & Kawakita, K. (2009). Acupuncture on the blood flow of various organs measured simultaneously by colored microspheres in rats. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 6(1), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/nem068
