There are no official guidelines to assist in answering this question. I will search for relevant research papers instead.
From the Research
Relationship Between Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Addiction
- TCM has been utilized in China for more than 2,000 years and has been practiced in the treatment of substance addiction and non-substance addictions 1, 2.
- TCM has efficacy in the rehabilitation of abnormal physical problems induced by chronic drug use, including improving immune function, increasing working memory, and protecting against neurological disorders 1, 2.
- TCM may be the ideal choice in the future for the treatment of opiate addiction due to its potential effectiveness in preventing relapse 1, 2.
Therapeutic Principles of TCM
- The general therapeutic principle of Chinese medicine is based on the theory of "reinforcing healthy Qi and resolving and removing effects of toxicity" 2.
- Acupuncture, another essential part of TCM, is developed based on the principle that "functions of the human body are controlled by the 'Jing-Luo' and 'Qi-Xue' system" 2.
Efficacy of TCM in Treating Addiction
- TCM has been shown to have positive effects against opioid withdrawal, dependence, and tolerance 3.
- Chinese preparations, such as Composite Dong Yuan Gao, Qingjunyin, and TJ-97, have been reported to have anti-addiction effects in randomized, double-blind, and multicenter clinical trials 3.
- Certain Chinese herbal medicines, such as Ginseng, Rhizoma Corydalis, and Uncaria rhynchophylla, have beneficial effects on drug addiction 4.
Database on TCM for Drug Addiction
- A computerized, bilingual database on TCM for drug addiction has been established, containing 340 works of professional literature, including 85 patent files 5.
- The database analysis showed a significant increase in the number of publications on clinical and laboratory researches in this field over the past decade 5.
- Five functional categorizations of Chinese herbs and the 10 most frequently used Chinese herbs were identified from the database analysis 5.