Acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy in opioid use disorder
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Opioids have been used throughout history for pain management, as well as for recreational purposes. The use of opioids in the United States has significantly increased in the past several years,. As patients began to develop tolerance to opioids, a demand for new easily accessible opioids emerged, resulting in its illicit use. Thus, the opioid epidemic has experienced different waves with the current fourth wave involving the co-use of opioids and stimulants, resulting in a surge in overdose-related deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the crisis by disrupting access to medication assisted treatment. Efforts to address the epidemic include guides for prescription opioid use, increased access to pharmacotherapy, and reducing stigma associated with opioid use disorder.
With chronic pain management often relying on opioid prescriptions, there has been an increase in adverse outcomes and overdose-related deaths. As alternative therapies gain attention, acupuncture has emerged as a potential non-pharmacological intervention. While acupuncture’s efficacy in managing pain has been studied extensively, there is a lack of research investigating its role as an adjunctive therapy with the use of methadone in patients undergoing opioid withdrawal. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy to methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) in patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). Investigating its effectiveness in conjunction with methadone will provide insights into its potential role in reducing opioid use and improving treatment outcomes.