The news about acupuncture as a powerful weapon in the battle against nicotine and drug addiction is spreading. However, this battle cannot be completely won unless the person with the problem chooses the path of sobriety instead of continuing with the destructive behavior. If you are neither willing nor ready to stop using drugs or quit smoking, applying a few needles into your body is not going to cease your cravings as if by magic. But if you are prepared for a change, acupuncture can be a very potent way of helping you achieve this.
The most popular acupuncture treatment for substance detoxification is the NADA ear acupuncture protocol. This technique has been widely used by acupuncturists to help clean out the body of addictive substances such as caffeine or crack. Ear acupuncture is commonly referred to as “auricular” acupuncture. It is often used to stimulate microsystems within the ear that mirror the macro systems of the body. A body part, such as the hand, for example, can be broken down to represent the whole body, from the head down to the toe. A part of the hand that that represents an injured part of the body is needled in order to relieve the ailing body part. This technique also follows the principle behind reflexology that sees various parts of that foot as representing various organ systems of the body; when the foot is massaged or manipulated, it can lead to the alleviation of symptoms associated with a specific body system.
The ear is considered the body’s most powerful microsystem (there are a lot of these systems in the body). The NADA protocol can significantly energize the body that may make it difficult for the person to fall asleep. So, to avoid this problem, this protocol may also be combined with the needling of other acupoints to ground the energy in order to help the person fall asleep at night.
Tons of research has already been conducted on this widely-used protocol. One study done by Yale researchers revealed that addicts who used the protocol were two times as likely to continue using the treatment. They were able to stop their addiction for a lot longer than the control group. NADA acupuncture is widely and successfully used in hospitals and penal institutions.
What Actually Is the NADA Protocol Anyway?
There are five acupuncture points on the ear that’s associated with the protocol: the Lung, Liver, Kidney, Sympathetic, and Shen Men points. The Lung points filters out toxins from the body, and have lot to do in “letting go.” The functions of the Liver points are to resolve the aggression and anger related to detoxification and to fix the physical damage to the Liver. Drugs do a lot of harm to the Kidney. The Liver point is used to help restore energy to this organ system. Willpower is the magnetic energy of the Kidney, so by stimulating the Kidney acupoint, the willpower of the person to overcome addiction is enhanced. Sympathetic acupoints can relieve the pain associated with withdrawal symptoms and balance the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. The Shen-Men point is extremely calming, and also has the effect of strengthening the function of other acupuncture points, amplifying the effects of the treatment.
So, you should seriously take into account the use of the NADA protocol if you are willing and prepared to get over your addiction and experience a faster and much easier process of recovery. If you’re addicted to alcohol or drugs, therapy will be an indispensable part of this process. Although acupuncture is a valuable tool, using it as a standalone treatment may not be sufficient enough to help you overcome drug addiction. You need daily NADA protocol treatments in order to attain the best results. To curb future cravings, two treatments a week of the protocol will be needed after your body has been completely detoxed. The protocol may be eventually reduced to one session a month, for maintenance.
Amy-SuiQun Lui, L.Ac.
Asian Health Center
27059 Grand Army of the Republic Hwy
Cleveland, OH 44143
Tel: (440) 833-0983
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