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Acupuncture is used with the aim of reducing the withdrawal symptoms people experience when they try to quit smoking. Related therapies include acupressure, laser therapy and electrical stimulation. The review looked at trials comparing active acupuncture with sham acupuncture (using needles at other places in the body not thought to be useful) or other control conditions. There was no consistent evidence that active acupuncture or related techniques increased the number of people who could successfully quit smoking. There is not enough evidence to dismiss the possibility that acupuncture might have an effect greater than placebo.
Most published studies on hypnotherapy as a possible aid to smoking cessation are either case reports or uncontrolled trials with a great variability in quit rates (4-88%) six months after treatment. Also, interpretation of results is complicated by the many different regimens used and the variation in number and frequency of treatments. There is insufficient evidence to recommend hypnotherapy as a specific treatment for smoking cessation and more research is needed to establish its efficacy. The type of hypnotherapy used needs to be clearly defined and described and compared with active interventions, preferably matching for therapist contact time.
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