Stop smoking with acupuncture

Sticking to a New Year’s resolution can be hard. As we enter the last week of January, I’m proud to say that I have been steadily running more each week. While I haven’t had acupuncture (another resolution) yet, I did make good on the promise to myself and set up something for next week. Part of my resolution to run more is to train for a half-marathon. I’ve been recruiting friends to run the race with me, and I’m especially excited because on of them has also decided to use this as an opportunity to quit smoking!

Quitting smoking is one of the few things I am adamant about, and unfortunately it’s also one of the hardest things to do. My role as an acupuncturist is to assist my patients in living their best lives, though sometimes that means enjoying things that are not considered healthy, such as drinking alcohol and eating cake. I feel that it’s best to find a balance, to enjoy these type of things in moderation EXCEPT when it comes to cigarettes and diet soda (ideally you should be drinking water). These two things have such a high risk that I feel they’re really just not worth it. Cigarettes contain more than 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known cancer-causing (carcinogenic) compounds and 400 other toxins. These are not the cigarettes that our parents smoked or that my great grandmother smoked until she passed at the age of 102! They contain even more stuff to make you sick than they used to. Cigarettes have become more toxic in the company’s quest to keep people addicted.

Facts from the Center of Disease Control state that tobacco is the cause of 443,000 premature deaths each year, and is associated with emphysema, lung cancer, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, chronic cough and an increase in frequency of colds and flu. Cigarettes kill more people than almost any other addiction or disease.

Fortunately, acupuncture is a great tool for quitting smoking without the side effects of nicotine patches and gum. Acupuncture treatments can curb cravings, address irritability and anxiety, detoxify the body and help strengthen the lungs.

I recommend a full-body treatment weekly to rebalance your system and keep things flowing properly combined with auricular (ear) acupuncture once or twice per week. We then offer discount rates for auricular treatments to ensure that you are supported through the week, in between the full-body treatments.

The cost of treatments will be far less than the cost of continuing to smoke. I won’t go into the costs of smoking, but a pack of cigarettes in New York City is almost $15. You’ll also save money on insurance rates, which are higher for smokers, and long-term costs for health care, which are significantly higher for unhealthy smokers.

The number of treatments needed will vary on the individual. In addition to acupuncture, you can also expect additional support in lifestyle tips and dietary recommendations to ensure a quicker triumph.

If you find that you’re addicted to the patches or gum, call us. We can help you with that too. 😉