Efficacy of Acupuncture as an Adjunct to Methadone Treatment Services for Heroin Addicts

Methadone substitution therapy has been the treatment of first choice for opiate dependence, but patient on Methadone substitution therapy report a wide side effects, and relapse rate is up to two third of methadone treatment patients between one to two years. Therefore, adjuvant therapeutic interventions for heroin addiction patients are needed. Since 1996, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified acupuncture treatment indications, including drug abuse. The purpose of this study is to compare the difference of efficacy between ear acupressure alone and ear acupressure plus electrical acupuncture therapy both combined with standard methadone maintenance therapy to the heroin addicts.

Patients who receive methadone were randomly assigned to sequence A and B. Sequence A(n=20) receive ear Acupressure combined with electroacupuncture for four weeks, followed by one week wash-out period. Then ear acupressure alone for another four weeks.

Sequence B(n=20) receive EAR acupressure alone for four weeks first, and followed by one week wash-out period, then ear acupressure combined with electroacupuncture for another four weeks. Measures of methadone dosage and using the craving visual analog scale (VAS) to assess the craving severity for 8 weeks. Using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess improvement of life quality and sleep quality. Using Beck anxiety and Depression inventory to evaluate emotional problems. Urine opiate screenings are provided after 4 weeks , 8 weeks treatment and 1 month after end of treatment, to screen opiate reuse.

The study hypothesis was acupuncture had more clinical efficacy than ear acupressure upon craving severity, life quality, mood stability ,reduced methadone dosage and sleep quality when provided as an adjunct to a standard methadone maintenance treatment.