Acupuncture and hypnosis have been promoted as a drug-free way to help smokers give up this habit, and there is evidence both ways is successful, the research study on 14 international studies.
But the researchers, whose findings are published in the American Journal of Medicine, said there are still many questions, including how effective alternative therapy and how does that compare with the conventional methods to quit smoking.
Nevertheless, an alternative method that can still be an option for smokers who want to stop their habits.
According to the researchers, led by Mehdi Tahiri from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, in general, smokers who want to quit should first try the standard approach that includes nicotine replacement therapy, medication and behavioral counseling, said Tahiri.
"But some people are not interested in treatment," he said. He added that in many cases, standard therapy does not work. Then I think we should strongly recommend acupuncture and hypnosis as an option. "
The researchers found that most studies show smokers who underwent acupuncture three times more likely to be free from tobacco six months or a year later.
Something similar occurred in four experiments using hypnosis; smokers have a higher success rate with such therapy compared with those who got little help.
But there are some drawbacks, namely the success rate is not always the same in all the experiments conducted, despite widespread tendency to refer to the benefits of these alternative treatments.
One study in 2008 to implement several programs of laser acupuncture on 258 smokers found that 55 percent of smokers who received this treatment leave their habit within six months, while those who are not given the treatment it only amounted to four percent.
But a 2007 study from Taiwan who studied acupuncture needles around the ear, regions that are specifically targeted for people who want to quit smoking, reported a lower success rate.
Only nine percent of those who undergo acupuncture was stopped after six months compared to six percent of people who quit without treatment.
Conditions are similar in all experimental hypnosis. Two studies showed a significant impact: 20 to 45 percent non-smoking hypnosis patients six months or a year later. Two other experiments showed a smaller impact.
Even so, Tahiri said, there is a "trend" toward benefit in the whole study of acupuncture and hypnosis.
But still there are questions, he said, about how many rounds of acupuncture or hypnosis may be required, or what special techniques are best.
Meanwhile, several other studies have concluded the jury is still looking for an alternative therapy for people who want to quit smoking.
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