Effect of Acupuncture for Methadone Reduction : A Randomized Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Addiction Psychiatry
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is crucial for opioid use disorder (OUD).
• Optimizing MMT involves using the lowest effective dose to minimize adverse effects.
• Controlling opioid craving is a key goal in MMT.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in reducing methadone dosage among OUD patients.
• To compare acupuncture's effect on opioid craving against sham acupuncture.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trial was conducted across 6 MMT clinics in China.
• Participants (N=118) received either acupuncture or sham acupuncture three times weekly for 8 weeks.
• Primary outcomes included a ≥20% reduction in methadone dose and changes in opioid craving measured by VAS.

Main Results:

• Acupuncture led to a significantly higher proportion of participants reducing their methadone dose by ≥20% compared to sham acupuncture (62% vs. 29%).
• Acupuncture demonstrated superior efficacy in decreasing opioid craving compared to sham acupuncture (mean difference -11.7 mm VAS).
• No serious adverse events were reported, and participants could not distinguish between real and sham acupuncture.

Conclusions:

• Eight weeks of acupuncture treatment proved superior to sham acupuncture in reducing methadone dose and alleviating opioid craving.
• Acupuncture represents a promising adjunctive therapy for managing opioid use disorder within MMT programs.
• Further research may explore personalized acupuncture protocols and longer-term follow-up.