EAR ACUPUNCTURE FOR WITHDRAWAL OF SMOKING

Fang Youan, Hou Yaozhen, Bao Guoqing, Wei Wei

(Department of Acupuncture, Huashan Hospital of Shanghai First Medical College, Shanghai)

Li Qisong, Xu Weiming, Liu Zhongyin

(Acupuncture Analgesic Research Department, Shanghai First Medical College, Shanghai)

Our previous work suggested that a group of special points of ear acupuncture is of value for withdrawal of smoking in cigarette dependent .volunteers who desire to withdraw smoking. To exclude psychological influence, 150 patients involving smokers and nonsmokers were selected and treated in terms of prevention of chronic bronchitis with acupuncture.

Methods:

Patients were randomized into two groups. One group was treated with special points and the other, with non-special points. Every patient received acupuncture therapy every other morning for 10 times as a course. Before acupuncture a complete history of each patient was collected including history of smoking and drinking such as "how long, how much, and what tastes"; After every treatment the response of acupuncture was collected again. The inquiring of history and the evaluating of effectiveness of acupuncture were done by one team of doctors, and the manipulation of acupuncture was operated by another team.

Criteria of response:

Good response: After one course of therapy, the patients stop smoking completely or reduce by more than 50%.

No response: No change in smoking can be observed after one course of therapy.

Results:

Immediate result: Among 61 smokers, good response was obtained in 70% (23/33) of the patients by using special poitns versus 11% (3/28) by non-special points. The difference was statistical significance (P<0.001). This finding indicates that the special points of ear acupoints were effective on withdrawal of smoking when psychological effects were excluded.

Three to eight months follow-up study revealed that the response rate of special point group were significantly higher as compared with that of the non-special acupoint group (59% 13/33 versus 7% 2/28). The immediate response rate was also higher than the follow-up response rate in special point group.

Difference between active and passive withdrawal of smoking groups:

The immediate response rate of active withdrawal smoking group of our previous study seemed slightly higher as compared with that of the passive withdrawal of smoking group of The present study (87% versus 70%), however, there was no statistical significance. On the other hand, the active response rate of follow-up study of withdrawal smoking group was obviously higher than that of passive withdrawal smoking, the corresponding figures being 71%(54/76) and 34%(13/33). The result suggests that the will-power may be of importance. Observation of the ear acupuncture on changes of smoking taste:

Among 33 cases of special acupoints therapy, 25 had self-perception changes of smoking taste. It is comparable with our previous finding that 72 out of 100 cases of active stop smoking group had changes in smoking taste.

Conclusion:

(1) Ear acupuncture of special acupoints fairly effective in the withdrawal of smoking. (2) The determination of patients is important in the improvement of response rate in a long rum. (3) Changes of smoking taste during the period of ear puncture of special acu-points may provide an important material basis for withdrawal of smoking,