Laser Meridian Massage in Heroin Addicts
Laser Meridian Massage in Heroin Addicts
A case-controlled study is conducted to investigate the effect of adjuvant laser meridian
 massage in heroin addicts with methadone treatment and establish the model of laser meridian
 massage treatment for drug addiction.
Objective: To investigate the effect of adjuvant laser meridian massage in heroin addicts
 with methadone treatment and establish the model of laser meridian massage treatment for drug
 addiction.

 Methods: A case-controlled study is conducted. Fifteen male heroin addicts are enrolled from
 Addiction Treatment Center as treatment group. They are treated with laser meridian massage
 on the back including Bladder meridian and Governor vessel three times a week for 4 weeks. A
 control group of participants without laser meridian massage treatment are matched by age.
 Check urine morphine before, 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. Subjects report their times or days
 of heroin use and self-fill Visual Analogue Scales of heroin craving / refusal of heroin use
 (0-10 points) during last week before, 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. Subjects report their
 quality of life using Short Form-12v2 before and 4 weeks of treatment. Obtain the subject's
 pulse diagnosis and heart rate variability after a single treatment. Independent t test,
 Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare the
 differences between the treatment and control groups. Repeated measures ANOVA, Generalized
 estimating equations, paired t test and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test were used for comparison
 between the treatment and control groups.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Provide informed consent

 -  Male older than 20 years

 -  Diagnosed with opioid use disorder according to DSM-5 and received methadone treatment
 more than 1 month

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Received Antidepressant or antipsychotic

 -  Received Chinese herb or acupuncture treatment during last 30 days

 -  Critical illness

 -  Did not meet the physician's assessment for recruitment

 -  Patients with Human immunodeficiency virus infection

 -  Did not provide informed consent