People seeking treatment for addiction typically have a complex road to recovery. Everyone’s story is different, and people have different needs and respond to treatment in their own time and in their own way.
What many people might not be familiar with are the supplemental therapies that can be used to help promote healing and recovery. One of those supplemental therapies is the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) acupuncture protocol.

What is the NADA protocol?

The NADA protocol is different from traditional acupuncture in that traditional acupuncture uses the placement of needles in different points on the body and the NADA protocol is based on ear or auricular therapy. The needles are placed in five specific points on the ear while patients rest for approximately 30-45 minutes. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the specific points referenced are:

• Kidney (promotes healing and eases fear)
• Liver (this ear point helps with blood purification and detoxification
• Lung (helps with the release of emotions and expands lung capacity)
• Shen Men (promotes detoxification, reduces pain, helps energize other acupuncture points)
• Sympathetic (helps manage the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system)

Another advantage to the NADA protocol is that it is often offered in group settings which makes it an affordable option for a lot of people looking for additional help in their recovery journey. The NADA provides training for a wide variety of people who deal with those in addiction recovery including addiction counselors, mental health therapists and social workers, police and correctional officers and those working in drug court, disaster relief teams and other trauma support center staff, first responders, nurses, and EMTs, as well as medical doctors and acupuncturists. 

The NADA protocol has shown success in decreasing cravings for alcohol and drugs.
In addition to addiction, the NADA protocol can also be used to help those who have suffered a traumatic event. One study demonstrated how this protocol helped people relax and sleep better after the traumatic events of September 11, 2001. The same results were found when it was used after hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.  

Another study found that the NADA protocol helped improve the quality of life for those working through traditional treatment programs. Those receiving the protocol said they felt better about themselves and had more energy than those who hadn’t received the protocol. They also reported engaging in less alcohol or tobacco use during the study’s three- and six-month follow-up periods.

When combined with other treatment options such as group counseling, individual therapy and support groups, acupuncture can help those suffering from a substance addiction.
Research has shown that acupuncture can help reduce cravings, increase patient retention in rehab, easy physical pain and withdrawal symptoms, help regulate sleep, and decrease anxiety and stress. Just like traditional acupuncture, the side effects and risks are few, so those looking for a supplemental treatment option should consider the NADA protocol as a safe addition to their treatment options.  

If you suffer from addiction or trauma, ask me about the NADA protocol and other traditional acupuncture treatment options. Acupuncture’s benefits are vast, and I will conduct a thorough health history and answer all your questions.

Set yourself up for a successful recovery and call today to make an appointment.

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Opioids. A word all too common to today’s society. Since the late 1990s, the number of opioid-related deaths has increased dramatically, having taken the lives of nearly 64,000 Americans each year.

The opioid epidemic is considered to be the deadliest crisis in United States history and overdoses have also become the leading cause-of-death in people under the age of 50 in the United States.

OPIOID HISTORY

There are many theories regarding the opioid epidemic and how we got to this point. One thing is for certain is that it began in the 1990s and it started in the medical pharmaceutical industry.

During this period of time, medical doctors were being pressured to treat chronic pain more aggressively. In response to this pressure, doctors began prescribing long-term use of opioids so that patients could better deal with their pain. At the same time that this was happening, pharmaceutical companies were touting opioids as non-addictive and not harmful.

Doctors were prescribing drugs at higher rates and according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), by 2015, there were enough pills being prescribed to medicate every American daily for three weeks straight.

ADDICTIVE NATURE

There are many who may not know just how addictive opioids can be. Studies have shown that patients who take the medications for as little as a week have a higher chance of developing an addiction.

It’s a common occurrence for those who have previously been prescribed opioids to begin misusing them. Oftentimes, if their supply ran out or their prescription expired, getting medication from friends, family or buying them illegally was how people gathered them.

This behavior led to the medications being harder to obtain and people turning to black market forms of the drugs or using illegal drugs like heroin, to help battle their chronic pain.

USE OF OPIOIDS

Opioids are used to relieve pain because they lower the number of pain signals the body sends to the brain. They also change how the body responds to the pain. Opioids include codeine, fentanyl, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone and tramadol.

They tend to be safe when taken as prescribed, but since they are highly addictive, they can be easily misused and people don’t even realize they have an addiction.

This type of medicine alters the brain by creating artificial endorphins, which make you feel good. Overuse of them can cause the brain to actually stop making natural endorphins if opioids are used too frequently and at high dosages. Thus, the body becomes dependent on the synthetic drug and builds up a tolerance, which requires more and more of the drug to achieve the same level of pain relief.

ACUPUNCTURE AND OPIOIDS

Unfortunately, it seems this epidemic is not going away anytime soon. As doctors start to crack down on the prescriptions they are handing out, more and more people are seeking out other forms of pain-relief and that’s where Acupuncture comes into play!

The stimulation of acupuncture needles improves blood circulation and helps you heal naturally. Undergoing treatment from Traditional Chinese Medicinal practices can also help your body begin producing natural chemicals that are used as painkillers, thus relieving chronic pain without the addiction.

Acupuncture is believed to rebalance energy and qi (the body’s life force) in order to alleviate pain and boost overall health from the inside out!

While there are numerous ways to treat opioid addiction, the fact remains the crisis is one that will be dealt with for generations to come, both physically and financially. If you have additional questions about opioid addiction and how you may benefit from acupuncture treatments, reach out to us and schedule an appointment!

The post Opioid Addiction: What Is It and Why Is It Prevalent Today appeared first on Tybee Acupuncture.

According to the Health Services Administration, 23.5 million people ages 12 or older have needed treatment for drug or alcohol addiction. And the treatments provided aren’t guaranteed, nor are they always easy. Luckily, there are alternative treatment options that can help.

Acupuncture is based on the correlation of individual locations and energetic meridians found in and on the body. For addiction, micro-acupuncture has been used with good results. Micro-acupuncture uses points on a small part of the body, like the ear, that also show correlations with balancing and restorative functions.

Auricular acupuncture is probably the most common technique used when treating addiction. There is a specific protocol utilized for treating addiction. It is called the NADA protocol. NADA stands for National Acupuncture Detoxification Association.  NADA was established in 1985 to promote education and training. The NADA protocol utilizes points in the ear that not only address substance abuse, but also the emotional, physical and psychological attributes involved in addictions.

The NADA protocol consists of five specific points, the sympathetic point, Shen Men, the kidney point, the liver point and the lung point. The sympathetic point balances the nervous systems and has a strong analgesic effects. Shen Men has a relaxing effect and helps alleviate anxiety and nervousness that may accompany withdrawals. The kidney point boosts the source energy of the patient while helping to resolve fear and increase willpower. The liver point promotes the repair of the liver and aids in resolving anger and aggression. The lung point strengthens the immune system and accelerates detoxification. It also helps addicts deal with grief and letting go. When somebody is going through the initial detoxification process, it is important to receive acupuncture treatments daily until you are able to remain clean.

Acupuncture provides a solid foundation for recovery and rehabilitation. It is a supportive component of addiction treatment as well as a tool enabling addicts for a normal life after rehabilitation. Acupuncture works to enhance overall functioning in several ways:

1) Because it is nonverbal, it helps reach patients that are resistant to change.

2) It has been shown to reduce anxiety and agitation.

3) It helps develop an inner meditative state in those who are fearful or severely troubled.

Acupuncture for addiction and substance abuse offers a proven method of assisting people in the process of recovery without any side effects. Acupuncture provides relief of anxiety, depression, cravings and other withdrawal symptoms.  

Freedom from addiction is just a phone call away.

Contact me for more information about my Acupuncture Detox Program.

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The NADA protocol differs slightly from other acupuncture treatments. The treatment usually involves needling in both of the patient’s ears for about 30 minutes. The treatment is done in a group setting for support, for those being treated as they recover from addiction.

The NADA protocol is about more than just acupuncture; it’s really about being a step in a sometimes long road to recovery.

Patients are treated in a quiet, peaceful room. Each patient gets the exact same treatment. Often group treatment is emphasized, to address feelings of denial and create an open, safe environment.

Those in recovery from addiction commonly report feelings of an improved sense of purpose and well being after treatment. Acupuncture is known for its relaxing benefits, which is especially helpful for those in recovery. Patients are able to de-stress in their treatment process to help them continue to make progress.

Most common effects of the NADA protocol include:

• Improved retention of rehabilitation programs
• Improved mood and outlook
• Lowered anxiety
• Lowered cravings
• Improved sleep
• Reduced need for prescription medication

There are a lot of factors that come to play in addiction treatment: along with counseling, support groups and/or 12-step programs, the NADA protocol can help make recovery easier and more successful.

I am trained by NADA, and use it in my detox-program here at Tybee Acupuncture; contact me for more information about how acupuncture can be used safely and successfully to help you detox.

For more information about NADA go to:

http://www.acudetox.com/

http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/abc/nadaprotocol.php

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