Stop Smoking and Remain Smoke Free with Auricular Acupuncture

Each year, people across the globe vow to finally quit smoking for good only to watch their resolution go up in smoke. If you have tried to quit smoking, you know how difficult it can be. It is hard because nicotine is a powerful addiction. For some people, it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine.

Thrive Wellness Center in Ft. Lauderdale offers a unique multi prong approach to help patients free themselves from this powerful addiction. We seemlessly integrate four different treatments into one pleasant, effective and long lasting protocol.

1. Acupuncture (Body and Ear)

How Does Acupuncture Help Break the Cigarette Habit?
Acupuncture has turned a growing number of cigarette cravers into permanent ex-smokers. Acupuncture is not a panacea or a magic cure in the treatment of smoking. It can, however, reduce the cravings and lessen the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting.
Oriental Medicine aims to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to each individual using a variety of techniques such as acupuncture, Chinese herbs, bodywork, lifestyle/dietary recommendations and energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in the body.
Your acupuncturist may do an interview to learn about your unique smoking habits and perform a physical examination including blood pressure, taking the pulse and observing the tongue. The emotional and physical symptoms that you are experiencing will help create a clear picture on which your practitioners can create a treatment plan specifically for you.
The acupuncture treatments will focus on the jitters, the cravings, the irritability, and the restlessness that people commonly complain about when they quit. It will also aid in relaxation and detoxification.

Acupuncture as an alternative approach to smoking cessation has a growing number of converts. In fact, acupuncture is often a court mandated treatment for drug addicts because of its ability to curb withdrawal symptoms and manage cravings.
It is estimated that most smokers will attempt to quit 2 or 3 times, or more, before finally kicking the habit. When conventional methods to quit smoking, such as nicotine gum or patches, have failed, smokers often look outside the mainstream and turn to alternative medicine.
Acupuncture is not a panacea or a magic cure in the treatment of any addiction, including smoking. But, acupuncture is effective in making it easier to quit and remain smoke-free. If you are highly motivated and ready to quit, acupuncture can empower you to take control and begin a healthy and smoke-free life!

What Points Are Used?
Each patient is custom-treated according to his or her specific and unique diagnosis. Usually a combination of body acupuncture points and points on the ear are used that are believed to influence the organs and energetic pathways associated with smoking.
Typical treatments last from five to 30 minutes, with the patient being treated one or two times a week. After removing the needles, ear press needles or silver pellets are often applied to stimulate the points between treatments and reduce cravings.

2. Nutripuncture
In addition to a customized acupuncture protocol, we also incorporate a very effective Nutripuncture treatment. Nutripuncture offers powerful electro-physical information that can literally re-write the body’s internal language related to the smoking addiction.

3. Adressing both parts of the addiction
While the addiction to nicotine is a powerful one, equally, if not more important, is the addiction to a very specific type of breathing that a smoker enages in while smoking. We teach patients how to engage in that deeply reaxing breathing technique which often removes cravings witin seconds. This technique is often the key to a successful treatment.

4.Lifestyle and Dietary Changes
Exercise is encouraged and dietary and support systems are recommended to rid the body of toxins and avoid relapses:

• Get plenty of fresh fruit and vegetable juices and miso soup to neutralize and clear the blood of nicotinic acid and to fortify blood sugar.
• Carrots, Carrot juice, celery, leafy green salads and citrus fruits promote body alkalinity and decrease cravings.
• Avoid junk food, sugar, chocolate, coffee and cooked spinach. They can upset blood sugar levels and increase blood acidity which can aggravate smoking-withdrawal symptoms.
• Lobelia Tea (Ban Bian Lian) or Green Tea can be sipped daily during the detox period to keep tissues flooded with elements that discourage nicotine cravings. (Lobelia is traditionally used to rid the body of a strong toxin such as a snake bite.)
• Drink water – Research shows that dryness causes cravings. Sip water frequently throughout the day.

How Many Treatments Will I Need and How Long Do they Take?
The length, number and frequency of treatments will vary. Typical treatments last from 20 to 45 minutes, with the patient being treated one or two times a week. Some symptoms are relieved after the first treatment, while more severe or chronic ailments often require multiple treatments.
A stop smoking program will often consist of 4-6 initial treatments scheduled in the first few weeks followed by monthly treatments for four to six months. You will be thankful once you kick the habit and so will your face and skin.