Acupuncture for Medication Withdrawal and Substance Use Disorder
Alternative to Meds Center takes pride in incorporating acupuncture into our holistic SUD treatment program as an approved adjunctive addiction therapy. The World Health Organization maintains a list of medical and mental health conditions suitable for acupuncture treatment, and addiction (or substance use disorder) is among them. In large part, this is because, since the 1970s, there have been numerous studies performed on the efficacy of acupuncture in treating pharmaceutical drug dependence and withdrawal. Nearly all revealed significant improvements in relapse rates, program adherence, and withdrawal symptoms.
Acupuncture for substance use disorder is thought to be effective due to the response the brain and body have when stimulating acupuncture points. The stimulation triggers the release and production of endorphins, also known as enkephalins. Endorphins or enkephalins are natural chemicals with pain-relieving effects like opiates. This release appears to mitigate the negative dopamine outflow that occurs during withdrawal. Instead of the loss of neurotransmitters causing stress, dysphoria, and discomfort, endorphins released by acupuncture appear to interact with opioid and other chemical receptors to create a chain reaction that triggers dopamine release. This is one of many theories that exist about the actions of acupuncture, but it may explain the anti-inflammatory effects, analgesic effects, sedating effects, and regenerating effects of acupuncture that have been extensively used in our SUD recovery program with great success.4,8,9
The Benefits of Acupuncture for Medication Withdrawal, SUD, and Mental Wellness
Acupuncture for medication withdrawal is extremely helpful and can complement nearly any process of recovery, including eliminating many of the mental and physical symptoms that often occur alongside SUD. At Alternative to Meds Center, acupuncture is one of the holistic treatments used to address multiple physical, mental, and emotional components of the whole person to better treat substance use disorder.
For example, individuals who receive acupuncture treatment often report relief from withdrawal symptoms and a decrease in drug cravings. This treatment is also particularly effective in alleviating physical pain, which is an issue people often attempt to address with substance use or the use of pharmaceutical drugs with high addictive potential. The typical program includes auricular acupuncture (ear acupuncture), while full-body treatments are optional. Residents often report relief from symptoms such as pain, depression, and anxiety following an acupuncture session.
Important Part of Healing at Alternative to Meds Center
While it is of the utmost importance that Alternative to Meds Center offers only research-backed therapies that have been scientifically proven to benefit people with a substance use disorder, the science alone is not what inspires us to continue to provide acupuncture. We’ve witnessed the positive effects of acupuncture treatment over decades of work and hundreds of patients. Simply by sitting or lying quietly for 45 minutes to an hour while a trained practitioner administers acupuncture, in our experience, patients can reap many following benefits,
Benefits of acupuncture for medication withdrawal include:
- Reduced cravings for drugs and alcohol
- Reduced withdrawal symptoms
- Reduction in the need for psychiatric medications
- Improvements in the ability to regulate emotions
- Reduced anxiety and stress response
- Improved sleep
- Increased energy
- Boost in well-being
Acupuncture and Neuroplasticity
This is all possible because acupuncture helps to improve the body’s release/reuptake of dopamine, which exerts an influence over each of the above mechanisms. After weeks, months, or even years of artificially modulating the brain and body’s reward system with psychiatric medications, alcohol, or drugs, the brain struggles to produce dopamine and attain pleasure, comfort, and other positive sensations on its own. By helping to restore healthy dopamine function, acupuncture can contribute to successful recovery.
Of course, acupuncture is not the only adjunctive therapy considered during the formulation of an individual’s treatment plan. Spa services like detoxifying foot baths and massage therapy, detox treatments like nebulized glutathione therapy, neurotoxin removal, colon hydrotherapy, IV therapy, and orthomolecular medicine, and holistic therapies like art therapy, Qigong, equine therapy, and more join psychotherapy and medication therapy to form a comprehensive treatment schedule.
When patients arrive at Alternative to Meds Center, we will work diligently to create a personalized plan that incorporates only the most beneficial mental health and addiction treatments for each person, potentially including acupuncture therapy. This provides an approach to treatment unparalleled in the field and gives each person their best chance for long-term recovery.
Fact Checked Alternative to Meds Editorial Team
In the last 20 years, however, physiologic mechanisms for many of acupuncture’s effects have been revealed by research.
Imagine a center that uses several healing modalities working together to heal you. If you are looking for relief from physical pain, anxiety, depression, drug, alcohol, or nicotine addiction, acupuncture may be an extremely beneficial therapy when used in conjunction with finding and treating the underlying causes of your symptoms. Acupuncture is one of many natural methods used at Alternative to Meds Center to bring a person’s symptoms and neurochemistry into balance.
