GUANGZHOU, July 10 (Xinhua) — Acupuncture may help treat opioid use disorder by reducing the dosage of methadone, a drug used to gradually reduce opioid addiction, according to a recent study.
Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) is often used for opioid withdrawal, but because it has many side effects, the lowest possible doses should be used for optimal results.
According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, after eight weeks of acupuncture, 62% of patients reduced their methadone dosage by 20% or more, compared with 29% of patients who received sham acupuncture.
Designed by medical experts in Guangdong province in southern China, the trial analyzed 116 MMT patients who were randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture or sham acupuncture. The acupressure points chosen are those commonly used to treat psychiatric disorders.
Xu Nenggui, one of the study’s authors and a professor at Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said people who received acupuncture in the study also reported reduced opioid cravings and improved sleep quality.
Xu said the study provides solid clinical evidence supporting the reduction of methadone dosage through acupuncture and also highlights future applications of such interventions. ■
