What People Coping With Addictions OUGHT TO KNOW About Acupuncture…
Acupuncture May help with your Addiction Problem!
Are you tired of letting an addiction or craving dictate your life? If so, practitioners at Centre of Balance Hamilton may have an effective treatment for you. Addiction to substances such as drugs and alcohol can hinder an individual’s ability to take responsibility for his or her life and function healthily. This necessitates an intervention to help addicts take control of their lives. So what do acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine say about addiction?
The Concept behind Addiction according to Acupuncture
Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine recognise the role of Zhi (willpower) as the determinant of addiction tendencies. Zhi represents the determination, drive, or urge to persist in life’s ups and downs. When a person’s Zhi is lacking, the risk of succumbing to addiction and feeling regret or pessimism consequently increases. Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine work by supporting an individual’s determination and ability to tap into the inner strength necessary to combat addiction. This provides endurance that helps the addict find and maintain a healthier replacement for the addictive behaviour.
Ear acupuncture is one of the most effective therapies to address a variety of health issues including general well-being, stress reduction, pain management, detoxification, anxiety treatment, and reducing cravings. In addition to ear acupuncture, you can conduct an ear massage at home to stimulate the release of endorphins (the body’s painkillers) and calm your nerves. Here at the Centre of Balance, we are more than willing to provide information and a practical example of how to appropriately perform an ear massage.The Opioid Epidemic
Addiction to opioids such as hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (Percocet, Oxycontin), fentanyl, heroin, codeine, and morphine affects approximately 2.5 million people and is responsible for nearly 100 deaths a day in the United States. These unfortunate statistics are partly due to the significantly high risk of addiction associated with opioids due to their euphoric effects. It is, therefore, essential to discuss how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be used to combat this epidemic.Unlike conventional treatments and detoxification procedures, which are associated with undesirable side effects, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine offer a holistic treatment approach that incorporates the mind (cognition), body, and heart (emotions). Acupuncture treatment is simple, cost-effective, applicable to all age groups, and does not have adverse side effects. The rehabilitation process includes simple ear acupuncture, whereby needles are strategically placed on 5 points. These acupuncture points represent the kidney (detoxification and fear), liver (detoxification and anger), autonomic point (balance nervous system), shen men (pain and withdrawal symptoms), and lungs (breathing pattern and emotions).What do the FDA and Research studies say?
In a 2017 paper, the FDA recommended the application of acupuncture as a non-pharmacological treatment to manage pain and deal with addiction. However, the paper also insists on the need for healthcare providers to understand the characteristics of the opioid dependence beforehand. To this effect, it is essential to consult a credible health centre with ample resources, customer service, and experience. Another recent publication by the Joint Acupuncture Opioid Task Force drew data from a variety of scientific studies and concluded that acupuncture is an important adjunct treatment to tackle opioid addiction and manage negative side effects of addiction. Additional Tips from Centre of Balance
Centre of Balance practitioners recommend a few lifestyle changes to enhance the effectiveness of acupuncture. They include deep breathing exercises to keep calm, drinking water frequently, avoiding junk food (increases acidity), consuming fruits and vegetables (promotes alkalinity), and exercising more to feel relaxed. In summary, do not let your addictions control your life. Visit our clinic at Centre of Balance in Hamilton, or talk to us and allow us to use our skills, knowledge, and experience to help you.
References
Abel Bolash, Bonnie M., et al., “Acupuncture’s Role in Solving the Opioid Epidemic: Evidence, Cost-Effectiveness, and Care Availability for Acupuncture as a Primary, Non-Pharmacologic Method for Pain Relief and Management.” The Joint Acupuncture Opioid Task Force, 2017, http://www.asacu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Acupunctures-Role-in-Solving-the-Opioid-Epidemic-_Final_September_20_2017.pdf.FDA Education Blueprint for Health Care Providers Involved in the Management or Support of Patients with Pain. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/NewsEvents/UCM557071.pdf
I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.
I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions. As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results. I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method. I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment. From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas. Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills. My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms. In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions. In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.