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Medical Forum / General / Alternative / June 2008Acupuncture for Smoking Cessation
Some noise has been generated over the topic of using acupuncture as part of a smoking cessation program. Clearly, all addiction treatments require more of the patient than of the physician. However, people who get acupuncture do better than those who do not. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9085389 Effects of acupuncture on smoking cessation or reduction for motivated smokers.He D, Berg JE, Høstmark AT. Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to examine the effects of acupuncture on smoking reduction and possibly also cessation and to examine whether some acupoints are more effective than others for smoking cessation. METHODS: A total of 46 healthy men and women, 39 +/- 9 years of age (mean +/- SD), who smoked 20 +/- 6 cigarettes per day and had smoked for 23 +/- 8 years, and who wanted to quit smoking, volunteered to participate. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. One group was given acupuncture treatment at points previously used for anti-smoking (test group, TG). The other group was given acupuncture treatment at points assumed to have no effect for smoking cessation (control group, CG). Before each treatment and after the last treatment each subject answered questionnaires about his or her smoking habits and attitudes. In addition the concentrations of serum cotinine, serum thiocyanate, serum peroxides, and plasma fibrinogen were measured before the first and after the last acupuncture treatment. RESULTS: The daily cigarette consumption fell during the treatment period in both groups, but the reduction was larger for TG than for CG (P < 0.002). Altogether 31% of subjects in TG had quit smoking completely at the end of the treatment, compared with none in CG. For TG the concentrations of cotinine and thiocyanate were reduced significantly after the treatment period (P < 0.001), but no significant reductions were observed for CG. For both groups the taste of tobacco worsened during the treatment period, but the effect was more pronounced for TG than for CG (P < 0.05). The desire to smoke fell significantly in both groups after treatment, and the reduction was larger for TG than for CG (P < 0.001). No significant changes in serum peroxides and plasma fibrinogen concentrations were observed during the treatment period for either group. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that acupuncture may help motivated smokers to reduce their smoking or even quit smoking completely. Different acupoints appear to have different effects for smoking cessation and reduction. PMID: 9085389 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Some noise has been generated over the topic of using acupuncture as part of a smoking cessation program. Clearly, all addiction treatments require more of the patient than of the physician. However, people who get acupuncture do better than those who do not. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9085389 Effects of acupuncture on smoking cessation or reduction for motivated smokers.He D, Berg JE, Høstmark AT. Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to examine the effects of acupuncture on smoking reduction and possibly also cessation and to examine whether some acupoints are more effective than others for smoking cessation. METHODS: A total of 46 healthy men and women, 39 +/- 9 years of age (mean +/- SD), who smoked 20 +/- 6 cigarettes per day and had smoked for 23 +/- 8 years, and who wanted to quit smoking, volunteered to participate. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. One group was given acupuncture treatment at points previously used for anti-smoking (test group, TG). The other group was given acupuncture treatment at points assumed to have no effect for smoking cessation (control group, CG). Before each treatment and after the last treatment each subject answered questionnaires about his or her smoking habits and attitudes. In addition the concentrations of serum cotinine, serum thiocyanate, serum peroxides, and plasma fibrinogen were measured before the first and after the last acupuncture treatment. RESULTS: The daily cigarette consumption fell during the treatment period in both groups, but the reduction was larger for TG than for CG (P < 0.002). Altogether 31% of subjects in TG had quit smoking completely at the end of the treatment, compared with none in CG. For TG the concentrations of cotinine and thiocyanate were reduced significantly after the treatment period (P < 0.001), but no significant reductions were observed for CG. For both groups the taste of tobacco worsened during the treatment period, but the effect was more pronounced for TG than for CG (P < 0.05). The desire to smoke fell significantly in both groups after treatment, and the reduction was larger for TG than for CG (P < 0.001). No significant changes in serum peroxides and plasma fibrinogen concentrations were observed during the treatment period for either group. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that acupuncture may help motivated smokers to reduce their smoking or even quit smoking completely. Different acupoints appear to have different effects for smoking cessation and reduction. PMID: 9085389 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] This 1997 study would have been included in the 2006 Cochrane review of the subject. This is their summary. "We identified 24 reports of studies. The only comparison for which there were sufficient studies to combine meaningfully was acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture. The fixed-effect odds ratio (OR) for the short-term effect was 1.36 (95% confidence interval 1.07 to 1.72), but the studies are heterogeneous and the result is strongly influenced by one individual positive study. The significant short-term effect was lost with the random-effects model for pooling, or by removing the outlying study that led to heterogeneity. The long-term result shows no effect of acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture. There was no consistent evidence that acupuncture is superior to no treatment, and no evidence that the effect of acupuncture was different from that of other anti-smoking interventions, or that any particular acupuncture technique is superior to other techniques." I would expect it may well help some smokers to quit, but then so can any other treatment. PM > I would expect it may well help some smokers to quit, but then so can any > other treatment. > > PM I particulary liked PM's suggestion of the use of hammers to deflect pain. Surely, if the smokers fingers were smashed with a hammer each time he reached for a cigarette, this might get rid of the desire. DrCee You cannot secure nor restore health with pus or poisons. On Jun 4, 5:32 pm, "Peter Moran" <pmo...@internode.on.net> wrote: > I would expect it may well help some smokers to quit, but then so can any > other treatment. > > PM I particulary liked PM's suggestion of the use of hammers to deflect pain. Surely, if the smokers fingers were smashed with a hammer each time he reached for a cigarette, this might get rid of the desire. DrCee You cannot secure nor restore health with pus or poisons. Hmmm! today I visited a hospital that had a few antiquities on display. One was a sign that said "No Smoking between 11.45 and 12.45 and 4.45 and 5.45" It is obviously pitched at the meal times. I can also recall at age 15 (1962) being prescribed valium along with the Doc suggesting that I take up cigarettes as a useful way of relaxing. It is so easy to forget that during the second world war that all military personnel were issued with free cigarettes which saw the greatest flow on in smoking in the general community after the war. My, how things change within a relatively short time frame. Cheers, Rod : This 1997 study would have been included in the 2006 Cochrane review of the : subject. This is their summary. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] : acupuncture was different from that of other anti-smoking interventions, or : that any particular acupuncture technique is superior to other techniques." I already cited that review (or one much like it). But what you are forgetting is that Mr. Kingoff is much better at "critical thinking" than poor saps such as you and I, at least if you define "critical thinking" as "refusing to acknowledge the existence of any evidence that contradicts your previously held beliefs." ----- Richard Schultz schultr@mail.biu.ac.il Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University ----- "an optimist is a guy/ that has never had/ much experience" Links Effects of acupuncture on smoking cessation or reduction for motivated smokers. He D, Berg JE, Høstmark AT. Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to examine the effects of acupuncture on smoking reduction and possibly also cessation and to examine whether some acupoints are more effective than others for smoking cessation. METHODS: A total of 46 healthy men and women, 39 +/- 9 years of age (mean +/- SD), who smoked 20 +/- 6 cigarettes per day and had smoked for 23 +/- 8 years, and who wanted to quit smoking, volunteered to participate. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. One group was given acupuncture treatment at points previously used for anti-smoking (test group, TG). The other group was given acupuncture treatment at points assumed to have no effect for smoking cessation (control group, CG). Before each treatment and after the last treatment each subject answered questionnaires about his or her smoking habits and attitudes. In addition the concentrations of serum cotinine, serum thiocyanate, serum peroxides, and plasma fibrinogen were measured before the first and after the last acupuncture treatment. RESULTS: The daily cigarette consumption fell during the treatment period in both groups, but the reduction was larger for TG than for CG (P < 0.002). Altogether 31% of subjects in TG had quit smoking completely at the end of the treatment, compared with none in CG. For TG the concentrations of cotinine and thiocyanate were reduced significantly after the treatment period (P < 0.001), but no significant reductions were observed for CG. For both groups the taste of tobacco worsened during the treatment period, but the effect was more pronounced for TG than for CG (P < 0.05). The desire to smoke fell significantly in both groups after treatment, and the reduction was larger for TG than for CG (P < 0.001). No significant changes in serum peroxides and plasma fibrinogen concentrations were observed during the treatment period for either group. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that acupuncture may help motivated smokers to reduce their smoking or even quit smoking completely. Different acupoints appear to have different effects for smoking cessation and reduction. PMID: 9085389 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Related Articles * Effect of acupuncture on smoking cessation or reduction: an 8-month and 5-year follow-up study. [Prev Med. 2001] * The effects of the acupuncture treatment for smoking cessation in high school student smokers. [Yonsei Med J. 2005] * Aiding reduction of smoking with nicotine replacement medications: hope for the recalcitrant smoker? [Tob Control. 1997] * [Smoking reduction and temporary abstinence: new approaches for smoking cessation] [J Mal Vasc. 2003] * A randomized controlled clinical trial of auricular acupuncture in smoking cessation. [J Chin Med Assoc. 2007] * » See all Related Articles... : This 1997 study would have been included in the 2006 Cochrane review of the : subject. This is their summary. : ". . .The long-term result shows no effect of acupuncture : compared with sham acupuncture. There was no consistent evidence that : acupuncture is superior to no treatment, and no evidence that the effect of : acupuncture was different from that of other anti-smoking interventions, or : that any particular acupuncture technique is superior to other techniques." In my previous post, I failed to point out the previous failure of your Critical Thinking [tm] abilities. Since we know that acupuncture works, any acupuncture study that reports negative results must have done so because the acupuncture was improperly applied, and must therefore be excluded. Any acupuncture study that reports positive results must have been done correctly, and must therefore be accepted. Any acupuncture study that reports no difference between "real" acupuncture and "sham" acupuncture proves that acupuncture works because if the "real" acupuncture had been done correctly, it would have given better results than "sham" acupuncture. You probably think that the above is reasoning in a circle, but that's because your Critical Thinking [tm] abilities are insufficiently well-developed. ----- Richard Schultz schultr@mail.biu.ac.il Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University ----- "Contrariwise," continued Tweedledee, "if it was so, it might be, and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic." : In my previous post, I failed to point out the previous failure of your : Critical Thinking [tm] abilities. Apologies for following up to my own post, but that should read ". . the *additional* failure. . ." ----- Richard Schultz schultr@mail.biu.ac.il Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University ----- "an optimist is a guy/ that has never had/ much experience" > In article <g288s7$iu...@news.iucc.ac.il>, Richard Schultz <schu...@mail.biu.ack.il> wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Apologies for following up to my own post, but that should read ". . the > *additional* failure. . ." When have you ever failed to make additions to your errors? > ----- > Richard Schultz schu...@mail.biu.ac.il > Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel > Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University > ----- > "an optimist is a guy/ that has never had/ much experience" :> In article <g288s7$iu...@news.iucc.ac.il>, Richard Schultz <schu...@mail.biu.ack.il> wrote: :> : In my previous post, I failed to point out the previous failure of your :> : Critical Thinking [tm] abilities. ? :> Apologies for following up to my own post, but that should read ". . the :> *additional* failure. . ." : When have you ever failed to make additions to your errors? Unlike you, I have the ability to admit that I made an error. But this is all by the way. Why don't you demonstrate to us your abilities at critical thinking by responding to the citation that I and Dr. Moran posted in which a larger analysis than the one you posted reached the conclusion that acupuncture as a treatment for smoking addiction is not more effective than a placebo? ----- Richard Schultz schultr@mail.biu.ac.il Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University ----- "You don't even have a clue about which clue you're missing." He D, Medbø JI, Høstmark AT. Department of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, N-0318, Norway. Dong.He@samfunnsmed.uio.no BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to examine whether acupuncture treatment may have a long-term effect on smoking cessation or reduction. METHODS: Altogether 46 healthy men and women who reported smoking 20 +/- 6 cigarettes per day (mean +/- SD) volunteered in the study. They were randomly assigned to a test group (TG) or to a control group (CG) in which presumed anti-smoking acupoints were stimulated (TG) or acupuncture was applied to acupoints considered to have no effect on smoking cessation (CG). Before each treatment, after the last one, and 8 months and 5 years after the last one, each subject answered questionnaires about his or her smoking habits and attitudes. Blood samples for measuring variables related to smoking, i.e., serum cotinine and serum thiocyanate, were taken. RESULTS: During the treatment period the reported cigarette consumption fell on average by 14 (TG) and 7 (CG) cigarettes per day (P < 0.001). For both groups the reported cigarette consumption rose on average by 5-7 cigarettes during the following 8 months, and there was no systematic change thereafter. Consequently, TG showed a maintained reduction in smoking; no lasting effect was seen for CG. The TG reported that cigarettes tasted worse than before the treatments, and also the desire to smoke fell. For TG the serum concentration of cotinine fell, and the values correlated with the reported smoking. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that adequate acupuncture treatment may help motivated smokers to reduce their smoking, or even quit smoking completely, and the effect may last for at least 5 years. Acupuncture may affect the subjects' smoking by reducing their taste of tobacco and their desire to smoke. Different acupoints have different effects on smoking cessation. Copyright 2001 American Health Foundation and Academic Press. PMID: 11676576 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11676576?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEn trez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpo s=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed Effects of acupuncture on smoking cessation or reduction for motivated smokers. He D, Berg JE, Høstmark AT. Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to examine the effects of acupuncture on smoking reduction and possibly also cessation and to examine whether some acupoints are more effective than others for smoking cessation. METHODS: A total of 46 healthy men and women, 39 +/- 9 years of age (mean +/- SD), who smoked 20 +/- 6 cigarettes per day and had smoked for 23 +/- 8 years, and who wanted to quit smoking, volunteered to participate. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. One group was given acupuncture treatment at points previously used for anti-smoking (test group, TG). The other group was given acupuncture treatment at points assumed to have no effect for smoking cessation (control group, CG). Before each treatment and after the last treatment each subject answered questionnaires about his or her smoking habits and attitudes. In addition the concentrations of serum cotinine, serum thiocyanate, serum peroxides, and plasma fibrinogen were measured before the first and after the last acupuncture treatment. RESULTS: The daily cigarette consumption fell during the treatment period in both groups, but the reduction was larger for TG than for CG (P < 0.002). Altogether 31% of subjects in TG had quit smoking completely at the end of the treatment, compared with none in CG. For TG the concentrations of cotinine and thiocyanate were reduced significantly after the treatment period (P < 0.001), but no significant reductions were observed for CG. For both groups the taste of tobacco worsened during the treatment period, but the effect was more pronounced for TG than for CG (P < 0.05). The desire to smoke fell significantly in both groups after treatment, and the reduction was larger for TG than for CG (P < 0.001). No significant changes in serum peroxides and plasma fibrinogen concentrations were observed during the treatment period for either group. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that acupuncture may help motivated smokers to reduce their smoking or even quit smoking completely. Different acupoints appear to have different effects for smoking cessation and reduction. PMID: 9085389 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Effects of acupuncture on smoking cessation or reduction for motivated smokers. He D, Berg JE, Høstmark AT. Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to examine the effects of acupuncture on smoking reduction and possibly also cessation and to examine whether some acupoints are more effective than others for smoking cessation. METHODS: A total of 46 healthy men and women, 39 +/- 9 years of age (mean +/- SD), who smoked 20 +/- 6 cigarettes per day and had smoked for 23 +/- 8 years, and who wanted to quit smoking, volunteered to participate. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. One group was given acupuncture treatment at points previously used for anti-smoking (test group, TG). The other group was given acupuncture treatment at points assumed to have no effect for smoking cessation (control group, CG). Before each treatment and after the last treatment each subject answered questionnaires about his or her smoking habits and attitudes. In addition the concentrations of serum cotinine, serum thiocyanate, serum peroxides, and plasma fibrinogen were measured before the first and after the last acupuncture treatment. RESULTS: The daily cigarette consumption fell during the treatment period in both groups, but the reduction was larger for TG than for CG (P < 0.002). Altogether 31% of subjects in TG had quit smoking completely at the end of the treatment, compared with none in CG. For TG the concentrations of cotinine and thiocyanate were reduced significantly after the treatment period (P < 0.001), but no significant reductions were observed for CG. For both groups the taste of tobacco worsened during the treatment period, but the effect was more pronounced for TG than for CG (P < 0.05). The desire to smoke fell significantly in both groups after treatment, and the reduction was larger for TG than for CG (P < 0.001). No significant changes in serum peroxides and plasma fibrinogen concentrations were observed during the treatment period for either group. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that acupuncture may help motivated smokers to reduce their smoking or even quit smoking completely. Different acupoints appear to have different effects for smoking cessation and reduction. PMID: 9085389 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Related Articles * Effect of acupuncture on smoking cessation or reduction: an 8-month and 5-year follow-up study. [Prev Med. 2001] * The effects of the acupuncture treatment for smoking cessation in high school student smokers. [Yonsei Med J. 2005] * Aiding reduction of smoking with nicotine replacement medications: hope for the recalcitrant smoker? [Tob Control. 1997] * [Smoking reduction and temporary abstinence: new approaches for smoking cessation] [J Mal Vasc. 2003] * A randomized controlled clinical trial of auricular acupuncture in smoking cessation. [J Chin Med Assoc. 2007] * » See all Related Articles... Display Show : Some noise has been generated over the topic of using acupuncture as : part of a smoking cessation program. Clearly, all addiction : treatments require more of the patient than of the physician. : However, people who get acupuncture do better than those who do not. When are you going to read the articles that I cited? Heck, when are you going to read the articles that *you* cited? ----- Richard Schultz schultr@mail.biu.ac.il Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University ----- "You don't even have a clue about which clue you're missing." |
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