Is acupuncture therapy an excellent complementary treatment for those who seek rehab? Many people ask this question when they look for a substance abuse rehab. They want to know what the relationship is between acupuncture and substance abuse. Can this Eastern medical practice bring people relief?
What Is Acupuncture Therapy?
Acupuncture is an alternative medical practice that emerged from China. This holistic approach involves inserting needles into specific locations around the body. In most cases, it isn’t a primary treatment method. Instead, it’s a complementary option that professionals use alongside traditional, evidence-based practices.
Does Acupuncture Work?
For centuries, the Chinese have used acupuncture therapy to treat many ailments. Even Western countries, including the United States, use it for mental and physical conditions. With that said, people should know if and how it works before they begin treatment.
Most experts agree that there are some scientific benefits to using acupuncture. In fact, many organizations have run studies that look into these benefits. However, Eastern and Western countries have different beliefs about why this practice works.
In China, for example, people believe that acupuncture works because it balances energy in the body. Using needles, they redirect the flow of Qi or life energy. The key to success is to stimulate the correct points in the body for a specific problem.
Western scientists also believe that the key to success with acupuncture is the placement of needles. However, they don’t believe that acupuncture therapy helps with the flow of energy. Instead, they believe that the needles stimulate nerves that send signals directly to the brain.
For example, some of these nerves send signals to the brain to stimulate the release of dopamine and endorphins. The brain uses these same chemicals to improve mood and block pain. For this reason, acupuncture can treat mental disorders such as depression and aid pain management.
How Does Acupuncture Help People Who Struggle With Addiction?
With some proof to support the idea that acupuncture actually works, why do experts include it in addiction therapy services? The reason is that acupuncture helps people struggling with abuse in many ways.
First, it helps with pain management. Pain is a common side effect that people experience during early therapy. Helping them deal with the pain can effectively increase their chances of becoming and staying sober.
Second, acupuncture helps eliminate symptoms of other mental disorders such as depression. It’s very common for people who struggle with dependence to also struggle with other psychiatric disorders. For treatment to be effective, they need services that address both.
Most rehab centers use dual diagnosis programs to treat such co-occurring disorders. Holistic options such as acupuncture therapy can be part of that to ease the symptoms of mental disorders.
Let The Willows at Red Oak Recovery Help You Take Back your Life
Few rehab facilities in the country offer the support that The Willows at Red Oak Recovery provides. We’re a gender-specific treatment center that addresses women’s needs. Men and women have different needs when it comes to treatment, and we take those into account.
At The Willows at Red Oak Recovery, we provide a wide range of addiction treatment services. In fact, our staff uses them to create unique treatment plans. These plans address the individual needs of every woman. Here are some of the services and programs that we include:
- Acupuncture
- Experiential therapy
- Meditation and yoga
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Aftercare
Don’t wait to get the help that you need to start down the road to recovery. Find out what acupuncture therapy can do for you. Learn more about The Willows at Red Oak Recovery when you call 855.773.0614.