A Breath of Fresh Air

• Local Oriental medicine practitioner Joey Komada helps smokers quit using acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

By Mary Scott Bellgraph / News Staff Writer

So you’ve been thinking about quitting smoking cigarettes but you don’t know which program will work best for you. Joey Komada, a local acupuncturist and herbalist, offers a safe, cost-effective treatment that has no known side effects to assist smokers on their journey to be smoke-free. Komada uses a three-day treatment of acupuncture that reduces withdrawal symptoms and a smoker’s dependence on tobacco.

As part of last Thursday’s Great American Smoke Out, a day set aside by the American Cancer Society to get people to stop for just one day, Komada volunteered her services and offered smokers a free 20-minute acupuncture treatment in her Torrance office.

Acupuncture is a 2,000-year-old Chinese technique of inserting ultra-thin needles in designated points on the body to aid it in natural healing and to rebalance its energy flow. Centuries of research have shown the ancient technique releases endorphins, a natural brain chemical that reduces pain and induces a feeling of euphoria, which helps smokers through the withdrawal of tobacco.

“These natural body pain killers and feel-good chemicals turn themselves off because cigarettes supply them for us,” Komada said. “We don’t have them anymore, [and] that is part of the withdrawal symptom ... acupuncture will turn the endorphin system back on.”

Komada says that withdrawal from tobacco can last up to three days because it can take that long for the brain to start producing endorphins again. She believes it is during the

withdrawal period that smokers will return to tobacco use.

During Thursday’s consultation, Komada encouraged patients to return for the full treatment.

“The real treatment is three days long,” said Komada. “You come in with withdrawal the first day and you get the endorphin release from the acupuncture needles. They leave you feeling very relaxed and you can pretty much deal with the rest of your day. And statistics (from the ACS) show that if you’re able to stop for 24 hours, you have a 90-percent success rate of completely stopping.”

Once the initial treatment is done, patients come back the next two days for two more treatments. This will allow the body to remain relaxed until the brain can have time to produce endorphins naturally. “If you come for three days in a row, it really helps because the physical addiction is pretty much over,” she added.

As with any stop-smoking program, Komada says the most important thing for success is that the smoker must be ready to quit. “The next thing is to have a game plan; what you’re going to do when times get rough,” she said.

Cravings, says Komada, last for two minutes. Smokers serious about quitting need to decide what actions they’re going to take when those cravings hit. She suggests patients learn deep breathing and relaxation techniques, go outside for a walk, move to another room or have a support person ready to talk to. She also suggests that smokers keep low-calorie items such as cinnamon, celery or cucumber sticks available, drink plenty of water and avoid ingesting too much caffeine and sugar, as those two substances only increase a smoker’s craving for tobacco. “And avoid situations and locations that are going to give you a problem, because the stress will cause you to have some cravings,” she said.

About the Practitioner

Komada is a California licensed acupuncturist and herbalist and recognized as a board-certified Diplomate in acupuncture by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture. She received her bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from Boston University, and soon after worked as a teacher.

Komada embraced the art of Oriental medicine while living in Japan with her late husband. When she suffered complications during her second pregnancy, her gynecologist used Chinese herbs to help her with a natural, healthy childbirth. On her return to the United States, Komada attended Emperor’s College in Santa Monica and received her master’s degree in Oriental medicine.

The daughter of a doctor and registered nurse, Komada is a firm believer that Oriental medicine can be used in conjunction with Western medicine to treat the whole person instead of merely treating the patient’s symptoms. Komada uses acupuncture and herbs to treat a range of conditions from anti-aging and chronic pain to weight loss and women’s issues.

For more information about Komada’s stop-smoking treatments or other services, call her at 617-6354. Her office is located at 3640 Lomita Blvd., Suite 303 in Torrance. For more tips on how to quit smoking, log on to the American Cancer Society’s web site at www.cancer.org.