Am J Addict. 1998 Spring; 7(2): 164-70.

Auricular acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for cocaine addiction. A pilot study.

Otto KC, Quinn C, Sung YF.

Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

The authors conducted a single-blind study of auricular acupuncture in 36 cocaine-dependent inpatient veterans on a substance abuse treatment unit to determine whether the treatment could help reduce craving, increase treatment retention, and prevent relapse. Acupuncture was given on a predetermined schedule to both treatment and control groups, with status assessed regularly by independent, blinded raters. The study failed to show a significant difference between treatment and control groups. However, the study patients, as a whole, did remain in treatment longer than a retrospectively analyzed group who received no acupuncture.