Main description:

Auricular Acupuncture & Addiction provides a comprehensive guide to the use of ear acupuncture for the treatment of substance abuse. Rather than focus on the procedural details, it concentrates on the neurological basis of addictive behaviour and its treatment. The treatment itself is straightforward to administer, what is more important is a deep understanding of the addicted patient. It provides a thorough grounding in the theory of Chinese medicine and integrates Chinese medical theory with modern biomedical concepts.
Interest in the use of ear acupuncture in the treatment of addiction has grown swiftly. This book is an important step towards taking acupuncture out of `alternative' medicine and integrating it within a modern health service.
Key Features:
* Scientific explanation of the theories of Qi energy and Yin-Yang
* Detailed presentation of the neurological basis of addictive behaviour
* Physiological effects of misused drugs discussed in detail
* Integrates Chinese medical theory with modern biological concepts
* Explains how this clinical intervention can be used in any treatment programme within a variety of settings
* Reviews the latest research into the subject
* Includes a comprehensive guide to the SMART UK teaching protocol and emphasises the scientific nature of this model
* Written by two leading experts in auricular acupuncture and substance misuse
* Illustrated throughout in two colours

Auricular Acupuncture & Addiction will be important for all students and practitioners working in the addiction field. It will be of particular value to those with an interest in the use of acupuncture as an adjunctive tool in the treatment of addiction.

Contents:

1. The brain - target organ of addictive substances; 2. How nerves work; 3. Types of neurotransmitter; 4. Learning; 5. Emotion: addiction is an emotion; 6. The limbic (emotional) system; 7. The physiology of relapse, bingeing and the permanency of addiction; 8. How does the brain exert infl uence on the rest of the body?; 9. Addiction and genetics; 10. The drugs of misuse; 11. Qi, the story so far; 12. A new model for Qi energy; 13. Yin-Yang theory; 14. Auricular acupuncture mechanisms; 15. An evaluation of auricular acupuncture with high security, substance-misusing male prisoners; 16. Diversity in practice; Index