Month: October 2017

As an acupuncturist, I have treated many addictions, including heroin and methadone. In fact, I was trained in a diversion and treatment program in Portland, OR soon after I graduated. In my opinion, Opiate painkillers are too dangerous to be on the market at all. First thing that should be done is to take them off the market. Next comes treatment of those that have become addicted. Acupuncture should be a major part of treatment for one simple reason. That is because taking opiates slows and then stops their natural production in the brain. Acupuncture can stimulate that natural production thus helping with withdrawal symptoms. It can also help with the stress that often accompanies addiction. Of course, acupuncture is not a part of Western medicine. So I don’t expect our government to take advantage of what acupuncture offers. I expect the emphasis will be on more traditional approaches such as Western treatments and drugs. We’ll see. After all, it was Western medicine’s irresponsibility that got us into this mess in the first place. We should require that all other forms of treatment be tried first (including acupuncture) before any prescription for an opiate be allowed! I’m not saying all this just because I’m an acupuncturist, but because I’ve treated them and seen what works. In addition to acupuncture, these people also need some form of counseling to help them deal with the mess their life has become! With the right support, they can get their life back on track to being a productive member of society again. I’ve seen it happen!