J Tradit Chin Med. 1994 Mar; 14(1): 56-63.

Analysis of therapeutic effects of acupuncture on abstinence from smoking.

Jiang A, Cui M.

Institute of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing.

1. Similar to other methods for abstinence from smoking, the acupuncture means has the same problems, i.e., recurrence, gradual decrease of therapeutic effects as the time goes on and unstable immediate effects. Therefore, any researches without a follow-up study are of little clinical significance. 2. Gilbey V et al pointed out that, up to now, the abstinence rates of all the methods have fluctuated between 20.0% to 35.0%, and the effective rates are around 45.0%; this is close to the average long-term effects reported in this paper. 3. Quite a number of researchers have pointed out that acupuncture is effective for many smokers who have failed to quit smoking by other methods. Research results have also indicated that the therapeutic effects of acupuncture on abstinence from smoking are similar to that of the nicotine chewing gum method and the behaviour therapy, suggesting that acupuncture is neither superior nor inferior to other methods in stopping smoking, and actually these methods can complement each other. 4. Schwartz pointed out that, the methods used in the past to quit smoking were difficult to be accepted by the majority of smokers, resulting in unsatisfactory therapeutic effects. In general, acupuncture is painless, nontraumatic, without untoward reactions, being able to inhibit the abstinence syndrome, economic, simple, etc. and eventually it is easy to be accepted by smokers. Therefore, if other methods are unsatisfactory, the acupuncture method can be tried.