Acupuncture is a healing technique derived from ancient Chinese medicine in which needles are placed in certain nerves on the body that are believed to play a role in a specific health problem. Acupuncture is thought to cause endorphin release, decreasing the withdrawal symptoms that occur with quitting smoking.
The acupuncture technique most widely used for smoking cessation is to attach small, curved staples to three different places around the edge of the ear. The patient is then instructed to apply pressure to each staple, in a particular order, when cigarette craving occurs. Acupuncture for smoking cessation has become popular and more wide-spread, but its long term success rates have not been fully studied.