Acupuncture can treat methadone dose and opioid cravings in patients receiving methadone maintenance therapy (MMT), suggests a new study.
The findings of the study are published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Effect of Acupuncture for Methadone Reduction: A Randomized Clinical Trial

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Role of Methadone Maintenance Therapy

A randomized and controlled trial revealed that acupuncture may facilitate reducing methadone maintenance dose and reduce drug cravings for patients undergoing treatment for opioid addiction.

These findings are important because while MMT has been widely used to decrease the use of opioids, suppress withdrawal symptoms, and reduce criminal activities, it is also a long-term treatment associated with harsh side-effects that make ongoing treatment difficult for patients.

Effectiveness of Acupuncture on Methadone Dose Reduction

Researchers from the South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion and Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou randomly assigned xx participants to either acupuncture or sham acupuncture 3 times a week for 8 weeks to assess the efficacy of acupuncture on methadone dose reduction.
The researchers looked specifically for a reduction in methadone dose of 20 percent or more compared with baseline and a reduction in an opioid craving score.

They found that the administration of acupuncture resulted in meaningful improvements in the amount of methadone reduction and the decrease in opioid craving score when compared with sham acupuncture.

References:

1. Effect of Acupuncture for Methadone Reduction: A Randomized Clinical Trial – (https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M23-2721)