Advances in Traditional Medicine

Kyung Hee Oriental Medicine Research Center (경희대학교 융합한의과학연구소)
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Acupuncture treatment of drug addiction

  • Oh, Jin-Kyung (Department of Oriental Medical Science, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Chae, Youn-Byoung (Department of Oriental Medical Science, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Shim, In-Sop (Department of Oriental Medical Science, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Park, Hi-Joon (Department of Acupuncture and Meridian, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Lee, Hye-Jung (Department of Oriental Medical Science, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University)
  • Published : 2004.06.30
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Abstract

Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention has been widely used for treatment for many functional disorders, such as substances abuse and mental dysfunction. In general, acupuncture is known to be simple, economic; painless, non-traumatic, and without untoward reaction, being able to inhibit the abstinence syndrome. Although a number of studies on acupuncture have been reported, a few studies described acupuncture effect on drug addiction. Evidences suggest that substances abuses including nicotine, cocaine and alcohol are in part related to its effects on dopamine neurons in the reward pathways of the brain. The effects of acupuncture on drug addiction may be mediated through the neuronal cells within the limbic structures, which are known to be involved in rewarding properties of drug abuse. This essay reviews clinical and experimental evidences for its effectiveness on the drug addiction, and discusses a plausible explanation for the mechanism of acupuncture on substances abuse.

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References

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