Quitting smoking is not getting any easier. Smokers have helped create a whole new industry in their struggle to cease the habit. Surely, you’ve seen the “vape shops” popping up all over the place? E-cigarettes, e-liquids, and vaping accessories are raking in the big bucks as the latest alternative to smoking. If you wish to prolong the habit and continue to spend your hard-earned money doing so, that is certainly your prerogative. However, you owe it to yourself to consider investing in an option that has proven repeatedly to help people to stop smoking: Acupuncture.
An experienced and effective acupuncturist will deal with your addiction using facts, not just about the craving itself but about you and your habits. We strongly recommend that you make an appointment so we can learn more about you. In the meantime, let’s review some of those facts:
Acupuncture restores balance
Ever since it was introduced to Western medicine, acupuncture has had its detractors. There have always been those who outright reject it as mysticism, in the name of “proper science.” Over time, however, acupuncture has proven that it restores balance to the body, not via esoteric Eastern philosophy, but by boosting the immune system and calming the mind. Addiction creates an imbalance that can only be relieved by indulging in the habit. Otherwise you’re faced with effects such as irritability, restlessness, and an overall inability to relax. Acupuncture’s stimulation of the immune system and release of endorphins will detoxify and calm the body.
Acupuncture combats cravings, not habits
While we can promise, that acupuncture will produce changes in your physiology, we are certainly not letting you off the hook. Most people still like to think that seeing a doctor absolves them of doing their share of the work. It is your health, after all. Smoking is a very ritualistic behavior. Entire social patterns are based around it. Just ask non-smokers what it feels like hanging out with a group of friends that disappears at regular intervals throughout the evening. Or, watch the smokers at your job manage to find a way to take their breaks despite harsh weather or other restrictions. There is nothing acupuncture can do about the habits developed because of smoking. However, your appointment with us will absolutely involve discussion of your lifestyle, which we never regard as separate from our treatment. Our preoccupation with balance means that we simultaneously review physical, emotional, and social factors. You must do the same if you are truly committed to quitting smoking.
One last category that we will address when it comes to your quest to quit is nutrition. Already, Chinese herbal medicine has been a perennial companion to acupuncture so we will likely recommend certain herbs that may be of assistance. The context is obviously about what else you are ingesting, aside from smoke and nicotine. Expect suggestions regarding dietary changes and nutritional supplements.
Acupressure empowers patients
Acupressure, as the name implies, utilizes pressure on certain points of the body whereas acupuncture involves needles breaking the skin. Consultation with a professional is still required but we will teach you techniques that you can apply on your own between visits. For example, did you know that there are massage techniques involving your ears that release endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers? Once we instruct you in the matter, you will be able to apply pressure to a point on the ear that will help relieve cravings when they emerge.
Acupuncture complements lifestyle change
Remember, acupuncture is not a miracle cure. However, it will eventually lead to the end of this unhealthy habit if you are truly ready. And, in case you are wondering, weaning of cigarettes by switching to vapor e-cigarettes is not a good idea. In addition to perpetuating a costly habit and prolonging cravings, vaping exposes your body to toxic chemicals. An acupuncturist will give you plenty of tips to help you get through the toughest stages, but it is up to you to do the work. Following are a few suggestions:
- Exercise. Stress relief and relaxation are reasons smokers give for the habit in the first place. They are also the precise benefits of exercise.
- Fresh fruit and vegetables. Smoking does not just leave toxins in your lungs. It leaves nicotinic acid in your blood! Fresh fruit and vegetable juices will clear your blood of this acid, not to mention boost your blood sugar and give you energy. Carrots, carrot juice, celery, leafy green salads, and citrus fruits promote body alkalinity. They also decrease cravings!
- Avoid junk food, sugar, and coffee. OK, we admit. This is getting harsh. Just consider that blood acidity we just mentioned. It is known to aggravate smoking withdrawal symptoms and these three things increase body acidity. Plus, if your cigarette habit coincides with a coffee habit, that coffee may trigger your nicotine cravings. A spicy herbal tea blend could be a good substitute.
- Drink plenty of water. Of all the damage that dehydration can cause, it also causes cravings. Those cravings can then do damage of their own. Smokers trying to quit should keep a bottle or glass of water handy throughout the day. Frequent sips can keep the cravings at bay.
You can quit the moment you decide to. That said, it is understood that we are social creatures and when we have the support of our community, the possibilities are endless. That is why The American Cancer Society created The Great American Smokeout, which takes place on the third Thursday of November. On this day, Americans are encouraged to quit smoking on a nation-wide level. In support of this message to the masses, we would be more than happy to help you quit smoking with as little discomfort as possible.
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