NADA PROTOCOL:
THE GRASSROOTS TREATMENT
Presented by:
National Acupuncture Detoxification Association
In Response to:
Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week
“During Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week, we pause
to remember all those we have lost to opioid use disorder, we stand with the
courageous individuals in recovery, and we recognize the importance of
raising awareness of this epidemic.”
--Proclamation by President Obama, September 16, 2016
WHAT IS ?
The National Acupuncture Detoxification
Association (NADA), a not-for-profit training
and advocacy organization, encourages
community wellness through the use of a
standardized auricular acupuncture protocol for
behavioral health, including addictions, mental
health, and disaster & emotional trauma.
THE NADA PROTOCOL
• The NADA protocol is a non-verbal
approach to healing that involves the
gentle placement of up to five small,
sterilized disposable needles into
specific sites on each ear. Recipients sit
quietly in a group setting for 30-45
minutes allowing the treatment to take
effect.
• The NADA Protocol is an adjunct
therapy.
THE NADA PROTOCOL:
“A standard acupuncture textbook (Landgren 2008) describes the
functions of each of the five points in the basic formula as follows:
1. Sympathetic is used for numerous diseases related to disruption in
both sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. It has a strong
analgesic and relaxant effect upon internal organs. It dilates blood vessels.
2. Shen men regulates excitation and inhibition of the cerebral cortex. It
produces sedative and anti-allergy effects. It is used for many
neuropsychiatric disorders.
3. Lung is used for analgesia, sweating, and various respiratory conditions.
4. Liver is used for hepatitis, anemia, neuralgia, muscle spasms, and eye
diseases.
5. Kidney is a strengthening point for the cerebrum, hematopoietic system
and kidneys. It is used for neurasthenia, lassitude, headache, and urogenital
problems.
Traditional Chinese theory associates the lung with the grieving
process; the liver with resolving aggression; and the kidney with will
power, coping with fear and new growth.”
– Ear Acupuncture in the Treatment of Addiction, Mental Health, and Trauma.
THE NADA PROTOCOL: BENEFITS
Reduced cravings for alcohol and
drugs, including nicotine
Reduced withdrawal symptoms
Increased calmness, better sleep, and
less agitation
Relief from stress and emotional
trauma
THE LINCOLN HOSPITAL IN BRONX, NY:
THE BEGINNING OF NADA
“Acupuncture treatment for drug and alcohol problems was primarily developed at Lincoln
Hospital, a New York City owned facility in the impoverished South Bronx. The Lincoln
Recovery Center was a state-licensed treatment program that had provided more than
800,000 acupuncture treatments in the past 34 years….
The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) was established in 1985 to
increase the use of the Lincoln model and to maintain quality and responsibility in the field.
Registered trainers from NADA have trained many thousands of Acudetox Specialists (ADS)
practitioners. The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment [CSAT], part of the Substance and
Mental Services Administration [SAMHSA] published a Treatment Improvement Protocol
[TIPs] in 2006, CSAT TIP #45 on “Detoxification and Substance Abuse”, which included the
use of acupuncture in its best practice guidelines for the treatment of addiction. “
- Ear Acupuncture in the Treatment of Addiction, Mental Health, and Trauma
“I was skeptical at first, but everyone I talked to said [EA] helped. I
became a believer.” —Former Attorney General Janet Reno, who oversaw
the first NADA-based drug court in the United States (1)
"[EA] has been shown to reduce drug and alcohol cravings, reduce
The NADA withdrawal symptoms, and in conjunction with group counseling, can
Protocol: facilitate the seeking of more comprehensive treatment...[EA] is cheap
Ear and a very effective on-the-ground treatment modality when coupled
with other psychosocial interventions.”—State of New Mexico, Governor
Acupuncture Richardson's Task Force on Prison Reform.(1,2)
• “The Texas Department of State Health Services very much supports
the use of [EA] and finds it extremely effective.” —John Keppler, MD,
Former Director, Texas Mental Health and Substance Abuse Division
Department of State Health Services (2008 NADA Conference) (1)
1. Reduce Recidivism, Prison Violence & Related Costs in California: Train Social Service Providers in Safe & Cost-Effective Ear Acupuncture, 2010.
2. Bigelow, J. (2008). Governor Richardson’s Task Force On Prison Reform. Increasing public safety in New Mexico before, during and after
incarceration: New directions for reform in New Mexico corrections. State of New Mexico. Retrieved from
[Link]
“In my experience (since 1997) [EA] is the best support for…comprehensive
treatment…I have ever seen. Whether court mandated…or out of prison we
see improved engagement and retention…with [EA].”—Janet F. Martini, [Link].,
LPC/S, Executive Director, Keystone Substance Abuse Services, Rock Hill, SC:
[Link] (1)
The NADA “From where [Biscailuz’ correctional staff] sit, [EA] makes our job
easier. The [inmates] are more willing to learn. I know the guys
Protocol: coming in withdrawing from heroin…it helps them...[EA] takes
Ear away headaches, body aches, cravings for…drugs.”—Luis Lopez,
Acupuncture Program Supervisor, Biscailuz Recovery Center (1,2)
“…[EA] in the treatment of PTSD provides an element of patient
engagement not possible with traditional therapies alone,”—Navy Capt.
Robert L. Koffman, MD, MPH, department chief for clinical operations at the
National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Md. (1)
1. Reduce Recidivism, Prison Violence & Related Costs in California: Train Social Service Providers in Safe & Cost-Effective Ear Acupuncture, 2010.
2. Discovery Channel report: retrieved from [Link]/watch?v=82--kr-Hog4
RESEARCH AND STUDIES
The NADA Protocol is provided in 23 states
by a variety of healthcare workers who are
trained as Acudetox Specialists (ADS).
“Acupuncture is more accessible to drug
courts than methadone and other
Founding chairperson, Dr. Michael O.
pharmacological interventions.” (1)
Smith, treats a patient with what is now
known today as the NADA Protocol “32% of drug courts utilize
Treatment at the Lincoln Hospital acupuncture services…” (1)
in the 1970s.
1. Drug Court Report published by SAMHSA/CSAT (2001) [Link]/pdffiles1/bja/[Link]
RESEARCH AND STUDIES
Substance abuse cost Oregonians
$5.93 billion annually. (2)
In an Independent Evaluation Study, Oregon
Taxpayers will have saved $79 million in a ten-year
period after the implementation of the Multnomah
Co. Acupuncture Drug Court in 2007. (1)
1. Finigan, M.W., Carey, S.M., “Impact of a Mature Drug Court Over 10 Years of Operation: Recidivism and Costs (Final Report),”
NPC Research, April 2007.
2. [Link]
RESEARCH AND STUDIES
• In Outcome Program Evaluation of the Multnomah
County S.T.O.P. Drug Diversion Program, the
“…study found that program participants and
particularly program graduates had significantly and
substantially fewer subsequent arrests and convictions,
particularly serious felony arrests. They also had lower
rates of drug-related arrests suggesting that the
program may have had an effect in lowering their
involvement with drugs (Pg. 42).”
Smith, MO (2013) Toward the Radical Middle: Ear Acupuncture in the Treatment of Addiction, Mental Health, and Trauma. Laramie, WY:
National Acupuncture Detoxification Association.
COST EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NADA PROTOCOL
• The cost of services roughly equals the cost
of acupuncture supplies (from $.30 to $.50
per treatment). One study showed that a
NADA style detoxification program-utilizing
NADA trained program staff-was 16 times
cheaper when compared to a detox
program exclusively dependent on licensed
acupuncturists (Mercier 1992).
Mercier, D.G. The Kent-Sussex Program: A Case for Acupuncture Specialists. NADA Literature Item # 1028. Columbia, Missouri:
National Acupuncture Detoxification Association.
HOW CAN YOU BECOME A NADA ACUDETOX SPECIALIST?
WHERE IS THE NEAREST TRAINING?
• There are trainings being held all over the United
States!
Visit: The NADA Training Directory
• Also, NADA holds an annual conference. The 2016
Conference was held in Albuquerque, NM in May.
Visit: The NADA Conference Homepage
• The 2017 NADA Conference will be held in
Wilmington, DE from May 4-6. [Link]
VISIT THE
NATIONAL ACUPUNCTURE DETOXIFICATION ASSOCIATION
AT: [Link]
Want to read research and other publications?
Visit: The NADA Bookstore
Want to become a NADA Member?
Visit: The NADA Member Center
Visit NADA on Facebook: The NADA Facebook Page
PO Box 1066 Laramie, WY 82073 USA
Phone: 888-765-NADA (6232)
Local Phone: 307-460-2771
Fax: 573-777-9956
[Link]
