The Treatment Process

About the Treatment

The treatment process takes one hour, including consultation and is very relaxing. Treatment involves the insertion of sterile, disposable needles into specific acupuncture points on body and ears. Mild electrical stimulation is passed through some of these needles to enhance their effectiveness. After treatment, press beads are taped to the ear and remain in place for a few days to maintain the stimulation.

Number of Treatments

Most average smokers tend to need 4 to 6 one-hour treatments taken over 3 months. This longer time period helps support people to break the psychological habits associated with smoking, such as having a cigarette after a meal and with a drink, which still sometimes occur long after nicotine has been eliminated from the body. The Quit Smoking Programme is as follows:

Twice a week for two weeks (one month). These four treatments reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Then bolster treatments are given at the end of the second and third months.

If you can avoid smoking for three months, you are well on the way to being a non-smoker.

These booster treatments reinforce your resolve. You may have gone a couple of months without smoking and forget how much focus and resolve it took. You'll be thinking, "that wasn't so difficult, I can have a cigarette without falling back into the habit..." and the next thing you know, you're a smoker again. This tends to happen during the second month, and again during the third month. That's why we suggest these booster treatments.

These booster treatments are then available as necessary. You may have not smoked for a year and then find yourself in a stressful time in your life and notice you are thinking about having ‘just one cigarette’ to ‘help me relax’. Don’t! This will be a time to take advantage of a booster treatment.

Case Study

Andrew, 37 had been smoking 20 to 30 cigarettes a day since he was 18 years and had managed to quit for 2 months before coming to see me. He was continuing to experience terrible withdrawal symptoms: facial acne, bleeding gums, depression, tiredness and an intense thirst and hunger. He also had severe cravings and was experiencing mild panic attacks 1 to 2 times a day. He described himself as the “worst form of nicotine addict”. After the third treatment he no longer had any strong cravings or panic attacks and his gums had nearly healed. By his 4th and final treatment, all his other symptoms had either nearly resolved or cleared completely. Two months later he commented that he had “no desire to ever smoke again”.