Acupuncture is one of the most widely used alternative therapies for addiction treatment. This therapy has been used as an adjunct to conventional therapy because acupuncture reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms associated with addictive substance use, and contributes to improved treatment engagement and retention.
National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) acupuncture is simple and easily taught; it is commonly referred to as acu-detox, acupuncture detoxification, five-point ear acupuncture protocol and 5 NP; it involves bilateral needle insertion at auricular sympathetic, shenmen, kidney, liver and lung points. Beyond the actual needling, a key element of NADA acupuncture specifies qualities of behaviour and attitude on the part of the clinician consistent with what is known as the ‘Spirit of NADA’. NADA acupuncture is not dependent on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, rather it can be used in acute and chronic phases of medical and psychiatric diseases across a broad spectrum of symptoms and conditions.
Outcome reports on adjunctive auricular acupuncture treatment have been published only to a limited degree with mixed results. In the past, there has been an emphasis on placebo-controlled studies. There are alternatives to placebo-controlled designs that are more appropriate to the study of NADA acupuncture outcomes. For example, Schwartz et al in Centre for Substance Abuse Treatment naturalistic study design compared recidivism states in three out patient and four residential addiction-treatment programmes. Schwartz et al found that addicts were choosing NADA acupuncture treatment as outpatients were less likely to relapse within six months of discharge than the patients who chose residential programmes that did not include NADA acupuncture.
Two additional controlled clinical trials provide strong support regarding NADA acupuncture use as an adjunctive treatment for alcoholics. The Bullock et al 1987 and 1989 studies produced significantly better outcomes for patients in the active group who received NADA acupuncture on measures of attendance and self-reported need for alcohol. The control group reported more than twice the number of drinking episodes, compared to the active group who received NADA acupuncture. Researchers have noted the following variety of specific physiological effects associated with acupuncture as cited in Brewington et al 1994 comprehensive review of the acupuncture literature.
It has been reported that acupuncture at traditional points produced effects in electroencephalogram, glomerular filtration rate GFR, blood flow, and breathing rate, while stimulation of control points by acupuncture needles produced little-to-no appreciable effect, Acupuncture has also been associated with changes in the production of other neurotransmitters. While the importance of neurotransmitters in behavioural health is well established, a detailed consideration of how neuroscience implications may inform our understanding of clinical outcomes and applications of NADA acupuncture is beyond the scope of this article.
The author is Head of Acupuncture at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi