An Brief Overview of the National Acupuncture ...



An Brief Overview of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA, USA) Ear Acupuncture Protocol for Alcohol and Other Drugs

A brief histoy of NADA

In 1973 Dr H.L Wen, a neurosurgeon in Hong Kong, was the first to report successful treatment of addiction withdrawal symptoms with acupuncture. He observed that opiate users who had undergone surgery and received acupuncture for post operative pain relief experienced few withdrawal symptoms. The patients had been given electro-acupuncture to the LU point on the ear. Subsequently, Wen conducted clinical studies that established acupuncture as a valuable treatment for other forms of addiction.

In 1974 Dr Michael O. Smith of Lincoln Hospital, South Bronx, New York City was the first to use acupuncture detoxification on a large scale. He started by using electro-acupuncture, but budgetary restraints led to the discovery that manual needling on auricular acupuncture points was more effective at achieving consistent clinical outcomes.

In 1985 Dr M. Smith established the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) to promote education and training of substance abuse counsellors. NADA training & practice is limited to the standardised NADA developed 5 point protocol, and NADA practitioners are not involved in diagnosing or treating any other health conditions. NADA training lasts 7 days and includes basic theory of Chinese Medicine and its relevance to addiction, clean needle technique, clinical and management supervision with voluntary clients. Annual reassessment is required.

NADA PROTOCOL

Acupuncture detoxification can be used effectively for acute and prolonged withdrawal, treatment and relapse prevention. Treatment focus is on re-establishing emotional equilibrium and homeostasis. This allows addicts to detoxify more comfortably, more quickly, and with far less narcotic intake than with the standard method of methadone detoxification.

Standardised 5-point protocol:

Sympathetic – night sweats, intestinal spasms, regulation of CNS.

Shen Men – Acts on medulla oblongata, spasm, insomnia, anxiety, depression, craving.

Lung – wind conditions, anti diaphoretic (stops sweating), goose bumps, chills & fever.

Kidney – lumbar pain, impotence & libido problems, spontaneous sweat, night sweat, vertigo, will power.

Liver – agitation, restlessness, headache, toxic retention, hepatitis.

Treatment is carried out in group settings for a duration of 45 minutes. Needles are retained for 30-40 minutes with no manual or electrical stimulation. Group members rest quietly with little or no interaction, relaxing or meditating. Treatments can last up to six months beginning on a daily basis, once per day, and tapering off to 2-3 treatments per week and finally once per week.

When detoxing from heroin acupuncture treatments usually begin during the last 2 days of the 10-day cycle or immediately after its completion. When detoxing from methadone acupuncture treatments usually begin when the detoxification schedule reaches 20 mg.

Patients do well unless they are also chronic users of sedatives as the effectiveness of acupuncture is reduced by the presence of depressant drugs in the patient’s body. If the patient is actually ”high” the treatment is always useless. Acupuncture is most effective in a “cold-turkey” withdrawal situation.

Drug detoxification can be called a crisis of elimination, thus, the focus is on management of the acute withdrawal symptoms. Any time the organs of elimination are stressed or diseased, however, the rate of detoxification should be reduced accordingly. Detoxification also requires the climb towards greater awareness and understanding thus any nervous or emotional situation that would impair the process would also be grounds for slowing the rate of detoxification. The only situation where detoxification should not be attempted is where the client has a life threatening illness and cannot tolerate stress of any kind.

References:

Berry, K (2002) TCM in the treatment & management of drug and alcohol issues University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Lecture Notes (© 2002)

Brumbaugh, A. (1998) Acupuncture for Withdrawal Management and Stabilization: Successful Conceptual Foundations for Program Retention and Positive Outcomes in Chemical Dependency Treatment.

Fidler, S. The Successful Use of Auricular Acupuncture in the Supported Withdrawal and Detoxification of Substance Abusers. .com/Research/addictres.htm (© 1998-1999)

Miller, J. Solutions: An Evaluation of an Acupuncture Program for Drug Treatment in San Diego County.

.com/Research/DrugSD.htm (© 1998-1999)

Pinnington, M. Acupuncture Detoxification (AcuDetox) Treatment in Addiction Settings. The European Journal of Oriental Medicine (p14 - 16)

Shakur, M. and Smith, M. (1979) The Use of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Drug Addiction. American Journal of Acupuncture vol.7 no3 July-September 1979 (p223-228)

Smith, M. (1979) Acupuncture and Natural Healing in Drug Detoxification. American Journal of Acupuncture vol.7 no2 April-June 1979 (p97-107)

Singer, J. (1996) An Analysis of Acupuncture Therapy for the Treatment of Chemical Dependency and it’s Struggle for Legitimacy. .com/Research/Singer.htm (© 1998-1999)

Washburn, A., Fullilove, R., Fullilove, M., Keenan, P., McGee, B., Morris, K., Sorensen, J., Clark, W. (1993) Acupuncture Heroine Detoxification: A Single-Blind Clinical Trial. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment Vol.10 pp345-351

Acupuncture Treatment for Substance Abuse. (© 1998-1999)

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