Acupuncture is one of the most popular alternative and complementary therapies [1–9]. It has been widely used to treat various neuropsychiatric diseases, such as depression [5, 8], insomnia [7, 9], and anxiety [6]. In addition, it has also been applicable in treating substance-related diseases, such as alcohol, cocaine, and nicotine dependence [1–4]. Regarding the treatment effect for substance-related diseases, previous studies have demonstrated that acupuncture may be associated with regulating dopamine neurons, thereby inducing a reduction of craving and withdrawal symptoms [10, 11].
By Jakob Montrasio from Saarbrücken, Germany (Cheers!) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons