Atlanta Acupuncture Center

275 Carpenter Drive, Suite 2000, Atlanta, GA. 30328

Tel: 404-250-9903; E-mail: lihua@aac2000.com; www.aac2000.com

Li Hua, L. Ac. TCMD

 Stop Smoke

¡°Tobacco Smoke!?¡±, my friend Kathy was so shocked by finding her teenage sweet darling daughter smoke cigarette. If you are little bit careful, you will see some high school or middle school students smoke cigarette in a public place. Children do not smoke at home that does not mean they are not tempted by cigarette. Among my ¡°stop Smoking Program¡± patients, some people have smoked for 20 ¨C 30 years or more.

There are many materials in a cigarette that is harmful to our health. Nicotine, Tar and Carbon Monoxide are the main toxin, which can damage our different parts of body. There are more than 4 thousands chemicals in a cigarette. Scientists found out there more than 40 kinds of them that can cause cancers. Nicotine, the main toxin, has complicated functions to our brain. It can active the nerve system, can help restraining and relaxing, can improve memory temporarily. Even though it can make people more concentrated and sober-minded and relax, it can make people addictive and increase the risk of getting chronic bronchitis, emphysema or cancers. It is more harmful for the second-hand smoker¡¯s health.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) thinks that tobacco smoke puts heat into the body, especially in the lung. In short term, there can be some superficial benefits from it, such as, feeling relax that because the heat of the inhaled smoke moves any stagnated Chi, thus producing a short term beneficial effect. However, this effect is only temporary and the Chi stagnation will more than likely relapse. The need to move the stagnated Chi is then reinforced and the addiction is set up. In the long term, the heat will damage the Yin of the lung and there will be unbalance lung and disharmonies of the whole body system.

Smoke cigarette can cause early illness and die. According to WHO statistics in 2000, there were about 4 millions people died due to smoking. Only in USA, there were more than 400 thousands that analogous to the number died of the Second World War.

There are many people stop smoking by them. I also always encourage people to stop smoke by themselves. However, TCM may help you stopping smoke easily. It is very important that you want to stop smoke, but not your parents, your spouse or your children or your friends. Generally, I use acupuncture, ear acupuncture as treatment method, and sometimes use TuiNa. I also make an individual diet, Chinese herbs or exercise plan for each person. I also make special prevention plan for each person in order to avoid recurring. It is necessary to do Tai Chi Qi Gong because this exercise involves gentle body movement, meditation and breathing together. It can strengthen the lung; balance the whole body energy, release stress, toxin, anxiety and cravings.