What Are the Benefits of Acupuncture for Addictions?

Acupuncture is an alternative medicine treatment used for a variety of conditions and illnesses. It involves the placement of needles at specific points on a patient's body in order to heal and promote wellness and relaxation. Acupuncture practitioners assert that the benefits of using acupuncture for addictions include the reduction of withdrawal symptoms and cravings. This practice may also help reduce a person's stress and encourage a sense of well-being that is helpful during recovery. Additionally, acupuncture is thought to be reasonably safe, which may be another benefit to consider.

One of the main benefits of using acupuncture for addictions is its effect on withdrawal symptoms. Often, addicts suffer from such withdrawal symptoms as shaking, anxiety, sweating, and upset stomach when they try to stop using an addictive drug. Muscle tension, insomnia, and headaches can occur as well. Many alternative medicine experts and enthusiasts assert that acupuncture can help reduce or alleviate these common withdrawals symptoms. Since such symptoms can dramatically affect a person's chances of recovering from drug addiction, anything that helps to relieve them can be seen as extremely beneficial.

Stress relief is also among the possible benefits a person might experience from using acupuncture for addictions. Trying to recover from a drug addiction is a very stressful process for most people. Not only does a person have to deal with physical and psychological symptoms, but he may also struggle with temptation, guilt, and pressure from his loved ones. Likewise, he may have to deal with the stress that comes from facing the problems the addiction has caused in his life. Acupuncture is said to induce a relaxed state that may help a person better cope with the stress involved with recovering from an addiction.

When a person is recovering from a drug addiction, his cravings for the drugs don't usually disappear. Instead, many people find themselves struggling with intense cravings for the addictive substance, even when they are firm in their commitments to stop using them. Acupuncture is said to help reduce the cravings a person feels, or at least to help him better cope.

Another benefit of using acupuncture for addictions is its relative safety. When performed by a trained, experienced practitioner, acupuncture is said to be safe and unlikely to cause negative side effects. This means a person can use it to recover from an addiction without worrying that it will harm his health at the same time.