The treatment for drug addiction is an ongoing concern of society. It has become clear to many that the threat of incarceration is not doing much to slow the illegal use of drugs and offers little hope for a long term cure for the resulting problems of addiction. In recent years, alternative medicine has become a logical place to look for solutions as the conventional medical establishment has made little if any progress. Acupuncture is one of these alternative choices.
The National Institute of Health has both endorsed the acupuncture treatment for drug addiction and posed concerns about it. The concerns are mostly based on the fact that there is no real clear understanding in the Western Medical and scientific community as to just exactly how it works. A secondary concern is the lack of scientific research on its effectiveness.
As is the case in many other areas of medical concern, acupuncture treatment for drug addiction simply works. Some areas of the country are beginning to recognize this fact and because they have so few choices available are setting up court supervised programs that offer acupuncture and other treatments as an alternative to jail. The acupuncture program is coupled with all of the other lifestyle type of procedures designed to help overcome withdrawal symptoms, strength morale fiber in the drug abuser, and deal with the problems that might have contributed to the addiction in the first place.
There has actually been some accepted research studies done on the effect of acupuncture on the treatment of alcoholics. These studies have shown that acupuncture helps overcome alcohol addiction and continued treatment lessens the chance of relapse. These studies are very encouraging to those who see acupuncture treatment for drug addiction as a distinct option. One of the things that is already accepted is that acupuncture does help combat the effects of drug withdrawal. The calming and anxiety reducing results from acupuncture are the most accepted and documented of all of its benefits.
Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Five Element acupuncture have no problem understanding how acupuncture works in the treatment of drug addiction or any other similar condition that so illustrates a body that is no longer in harmony in a physical or spiritual sense. As in any other such disharmony, the drug addiction is merely a symptom of something amiss within the internal flow of vital energy through the Meridians of the body.
