Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine where small needles are inserted into the skin at strategic points on the body to promote healing in many different capacities.
It is a part of traditional Chinese medicine, but its practice is now used around the world for several conditions including both physical and mental ailments. Because of its extensive healing powers, acupuncture therapy can also be an effective tool for recovering addicts.
The Benefits of Acupuncture Therapy for Recovery from Addiction
As an inpatient drug rehab in Florida, we understand that substance abuse problems are more than just a chemical dependency. They can quickly lead to various physical and mental health problems for the user that takes time to heal. Because of these issues, effective and lasting recovery usually requires therapies focusing on these secondary problems, including acupuncture. There are several benefits of acupuncture for recovery.
Help with Physical Withdrawal Symptoms
Even patients in our luxury detox program cannot avoid all of the withdrawal symptoms that come with detox. Physical side effects may include headaches, nausea, vomiting, and muscle pain. Thankfully, included in the many health benefits of acupuncture for recovering drug addicts is this therapy’s ability to reduce the presence and severity of these specific withdrawal symptoms.1 Because it can provide such relief, acupuncture may make the detox process easier as well as increase success rates.
Improved Mental Health
Recovery from substance abuse isn’t just about the physical pain of detox. Early recovery is often filled with many psychological problems and mental health struggles. Recovering addicts may experience depression, agitation, anxiety, and mood swings. Fortunately, evidence suggests that acupuncture may have a positive impact on depression and anxiety.2 Treatment of depression in particular has seen to be effective with one study showing 43% of women seeing reduced symptoms after receiving acupuncture specifically tailored for depression, and after eight weeks over half reported no longer feeling depressed.3
Better Sleep
Many patients in our luxury residential rehab struggle with insomnia and other sleep disturbances. Acupuncture has actually been an effective means of reducing insomnia in patients. Some studies even show that acupuncture was more effective than medications for increasing sleep duration for more than three hours. A combination of acupuncture and medication was also more effective than medication alone for improving average sleep duration.4
Other Physical Health Benefits
Along with helping decrease the effects of physical withdrawal symptoms, there are several benefits of acupuncture for recovering addicts regarding other health problems. Long-term drug and alcohol abuse can wreak havoc on a person’s body and cause significant damage. Because acupuncture can help with a variety of diseases, symptoms, and conditions including everything from gastrointestinal problems to respiratory issues, it could promote healing for someone with these afflictions in recovery.1
At Seaside Palm Beach, we use acupuncture therapy for addiction treatment along with several other therapy programs to promote comprehensive healing from substance abuse for our patients.
If you or someone you care about is ready to start the addiction healing process, contact us today at 561-677-9374.
Sources:
- UCSD- How Acupuncture Can Relieve Pain and Improve Sleep, Digestion and Emotional Well-being
- NCBI- EVIDENCE MAP OF ACUPUNCTURE FOR MENTAL HEALTH
- ACTCM- Acupuncture Effective in Treatment of Mental Illness
- NCBI- Acupuncture for Treatment of Insomnia: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
