At Pollack Health & Wellness, we love to see patients come to a crucial decision to make a positive change in their lives. It’s encouraging when they choose the right solution and succeed, and it’s heartbreaking when they choose the wrong road and fail, and then give up on their goal.
Quitting smoking can be the most important decision you make for yourself. It can literally save your life; more than that, it can protect those around you from the dangers of second-hand smoke. Unfortunately, people who smoke often fail when trying to quit. Popular smoking-cessation remedies like nicotine patches and gum do not guarantee success, and they are also a continual financial burden. What’s worse, if these remedies don’t work, they result in the patient giving up and deciding they just can’t do it. From there, a failed attempt can deeply impact their lives and the lives of their families.
Chris was a pack-a-day smoker who had battled with her habit for more than 20 years, and she was ready to kick the habit. She had tried to quit “cold turkey” many times, but she would always go back to the habit. Then she heard about a new treatment that we offer at our practice and decided to go for it.
Chris’s treatment was a two-part session. The first aspect of quitting smoking is changing your behavior. When someone has been smoking for a very long time, cigarettes are a part of almost every daily routine. Get up in the morning, light a cigarette. Get into the car, light a cigarette. Some people even feel it is “who they are” or smoking is “a part of life,” and those are the very ideas that make it so difficult to quit without help.
Those daily patterns and routines must be changed. This is known as behavior modification. Helping Chris pinpoint and modify her habits, would be key to her success. The first part of the treatment addressed this.
The second part of the treatment is called electro-acupuncture, or microcurrent auriculotherapy. Chris was asked to lie down on the table and hold an electrode while a tiny current was applied to five reflex points in her ear. This procedure targets nicotine cravings and urges. Magnets were then placed on those trigger points. Chris could use them to give herself a boost if it was needed. After only one treatment, Chris was able to stop smoking.
What is smoking cessation treatment?
Smoking cessation treatment uses electroacupuncture, as well as behavior modification, toward the goal of ending nicotine dependence and cravings. The cost is low and the treatment is quick and effective. Usually only one treatment is enough, although some require a second “booster” session. There is no hypnosis or pharmaceuticals involved, and patients usually do not feel any pain. There are also no continuing costs after the treatment.
We hope you will reach out if you’re ready to make this life-saving decision!