A type of acupuncture that uses skin electrodes to apply electrical stimulation at different points on the body called transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation (TEAS) may help people suffering from an addiction to opioid drugs. The study, overseen by Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital near Boston, showed that patients who received acupuncture in combination with their prescribed withdrawal medications were only 29% likely to return to drug use while 2/3 those who did not receive acupuncture took up the habit again.
In addition, patients in the active TEAS group reported they were less bothered by pain and that they experienced greater improvements in overall health.
Source: http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/010410.htm?nav=rss
