Ear acupressure for smoking cessation: a randomised controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Integrative and Complementary Medicine
• Public Health
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Smoking cessation remains a significant public health challenge.
• Alternative therapies like ear acupressure (EAP) are explored for smoking cessation.
• The efficacy of EAP as a standalone intervention requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ear acupressure (EAP) for smoking cessation.
• To assess the feasibility of a study design involving EAP for smoking cessation.
• To compare specific EAP (SSEAP) for smoking cessation against a non-specific EAP (NSEAP) intervention.

Main Methods:

• Adult smokers were randomized into two groups: SSEAP and NSEAP.
• Participants received 8 weekly EAP treatments and self-administered acupressure daily.
• Follow-up was conducted for three months, with primary outcomes including cessation rates and nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

Main Results:

• A high dropout rate (over 50%) was observed, impacting study completion.
• Only one participant in the SSEAP group achieved confirmed cessation (5%).
• No significant differences were found between SSEAP and NSEAP groups for cessation rates or withdrawal symptom relief.

Conclusions:

• Ear acupressure (EAP) demonstrated limited efficacy as a standalone smoking cessation method in this trial.
• The study design faced feasibility challenges due to high participant dropout.
• Adverse events associated with EAP were minimal, suggesting a favorable safety profile.