ACUPUNCTURE A METHOD TO TREAT DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE

If we use the term addiction as it is generally used then we can say
that almost every person these days is addicted to something and it
doesn't always have to be drugs or alcohol.

People can be addicted to coffee, sugar, pain killers, certain scents
or loud music, but also gambling, sex and power.

If we look closer to the term addiction we find descriptions like
"addiction is a generic medical term used to describe the physical
dependency on a particular substance, usually either a drug or alcohol
that requires prescribed 'treatment,' to help managing physical
withdrawal symptoms."

Most texts connect the term addiction to the overuse of drugs, tobacco
or alcohol.

A person becomes usually addicted because there is some kind of
problem, discomfort or inability.

This can be rejection by peers, failure in a work situation or a lost
love.

If after using drugs or alcohol these problems seem to become less
important this will be a reason to try them again. Slowly the person
becomes addicted.

The use of drugs or alcohol confuses the brain.

The brain is used to organize, oversee, make decisions, react
adequately on different challenges and keep us safe under different
circumstances.

Drug use causes different parts of the brain to disagree with what has
to be done.

This creates abnormal behaviour and can alienate a person from
everything that is dear to him.

Drug addiction treatment can include behavioural therapy (such as
counselling, cognitive therapy, or psychotherapy), medications, or
their combination.

Behavioural therapies offer people strategies for coping with their
drug cravings, teach them ways to avoid drugs and prevent relapse, and
help them deal with relapse if it occurs.

Drug addiction treatment is difficult, long term and expensive with
always a chance of relapse.

In search for additional treatment methods for drug addiction,
acupuncture has been added to the repertoire and is now often used in
official government funded detoxification programs.

Research shows that the effects of conventional therapies are enhanced
by the use of acupuncture.

For example, the chance of relapse for alcohol and drug addicts
reduces considerably and people who received acupuncture
detoxification treatment were two times more likely to continue in
rehabilitation therapy than people who did not receive acupuncture
treatment.

Acupuncture addiction treatments use relatively more ear points. The
whole body is represented in the ear and by using the auricular points
many functions of the body can be addressed at the same time.

After the treatment little press needles or magnetic balls can be
placed upon important points so that the patient can stimulate these
points in between treatments.

The efficacy of acupuncture in these treatments is based on the same
principles as other acupuncture treatments.

The stimulation of certain points will activate the brain mainly to
produce more painkillers, steroids or muscle relaxants and those
chemicals can be exactly what a person is addicted to.

Body home-made chemicals are much less addictive than external
drugs.

With acupuncture also the liver function can be stimulated for a
stronger detoxification.

Finally, acupuncture helps the body to relax and, above all, to
balance itself out so that the brain is not so confused anymore.

* Pieter Rijke is a Kelowna based physiotherapist specializing in
acupuncture for many years. He operates the Okanagan Acupuncture
Centre downtown