Lancet. 1989 Jun; 1(8652): 1435-9.

Controlled trial of acupuncture for severe recidivist alcoholism.

Bullock ML, Culliton PD, Olander RT.

Department of Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis.

In a placebo-controlled study, 80 severe recidivist alcoholics received acupuncture either at points specific for the treatment of substance abuse (treatment group) or at nonspecific points (control group). 21 of 40 patients in the treatment group completed the programme compared with 1 of 40 controls. Significant treatment effects persisted at the end of the six-month follow-up: by comparison with treatment patients more control patients expressed a moderate to strong need for alcohol, and had more than twice the number of both drinking episodes and admissions to a detoxification centre.