a positive reaction toward acupuncture from persons with opioid substance use disorders. However, studies published in the journal Chinese Medicine, JAMA, and the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, since the mid-1990s have revealed that acupuncture shows little discernible improvement in treating opioid addiction, particularly in preventing relapse.
Some researchers argue that most acupuncture studies that appear to promote the practice, fail to separate data regarding acupuncture treatment of opioid addiction from its treatment of other conditions, such as headaches and insomnia. Other skeptics argue that acupuncture produces a placebo effect in the mind of the patient, when it may not be effective at all. As a result, certain clinicians believe the conclusions of these studies are dubious.
Despite this, government legislature, specialists and drug rehab centers are promoting non-addictive treatments to battle the opioid epidemic affecting Rhode Island, Ohio, and other states. Working with doctors and insurance companies, they have increased access to additional therapeutic approaches to assist recovering patients.
Author: Sean Woodard
Sean Woodard is a journalist for Addiction Now and serves on the Film Department for Drunk Monkeys Literary Magazine and Film Blog. Focusing on a wide variety of interests, Sean’s fiction, film criticism, and other writing have been featured in Los Angeles Review of Books, Found Polaroids, and Los Angeles Magazine, among other publications. A native of Visalia, CA, he now resides in Orange County. Contact Sean at seanw@addictionnow.com
