Study Results: Acupuncture Can Reduce Methadone Dosage and Opioid Cravings

According to a study published on July 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, eight weeks of acupuncture can be beneficial for reducing methadone dosage and opioid cravings in individuals with opioid use disorder receiving methadone maintenance therapy (MMT).

Dr. Liming Lu from Guangzhou Medical University in China and his colleagues investigated the effectiveness of acupuncture in reducing methadone dosage in a randomized controlled trial conducted at six MMT clinics in China.

Participants aged 65 or younger with opioid use disorder, who had been on MMT for at least six weeks, were randomly assigned to receive acupuncture three times a week for eight weeks (with 60 and 58 participants, respectively).

The researchers found that patients reduced their methadone dosage by 20% or more in the eighth week with acupuncture. Additionally, acupuncture was effective in reducing opioid cravings.

According to the authors of the study:

“Although further research is needed to measure long-term clinical outcomes and determine how acupuncture can be best incorporated into a comprehensive substance use treatment program, we believe that these findings support considering acupuncture as a method to reduce methadone use in individuals receiving MMT.”