Welcome to the New Mexico Addiction Education Network
Bridging Disciplines, 
Sharing addiction knowledge throughout the community,
Treating the whole person and the community 

History

  The discovery that ear acupuncture was effective for heroin detoxification was made by Dr. Wen in China in 1972.  Dr. Wen, a neurosurgeon, used acupuncture anesthesia on a patient who incidentally was in heroin withdrawal.  When his symptoms disappeared, Dr. Wen conducted several formalized studies.  He also experimented with naloxone, an opiate block used to speed up the detoxification process, and found that it partially blocked the effects of acupuncture as well.  This led to research on the relationship of acupuncture to the production of endogenous opiates. 

In 1974, Dr. Wen’s electrical acupuncture on the lung point in the ear was used at Lincoln Detox Center.  At that time, Lincoln Hospital Detox Center, located in the Bronx of New York City, was primarily a methadone clinic.  Dr. Michael Smith, M.D., working at Lincoln, was interested in finding an alternative to methadone treatment so he began to experiment with different auricular point combinations at Lincoln.  Several years later, the present day protocol of 5 auricular points was developed and being used daily.  In 1978, Lincoln stopped providing methadone. The 5 needle technique proved effective for other substances during the crack cocaine epidemic of the mid-eighties.  In 1985, Dr. Smith founded the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA).  Nationally, the treatment became known as the NADA 5 needle technique or NADA protocol, also known as acupuncture detoxification or acu-detox for short.  In the years since its early use for detox, it has been shown to be effective for treatment, relapse prevention, harm reduction from substance abuse.  Lately, it has been used to treat PTSD for rescue workers of 9/11 in NYC, in post-Katrina New Orleans, and in international disaster recovery efforts.  It has also proved to be an effective strategy for retention and treatment in drug courts, and domestic violence and parenting classes, also for the treatment of ADHD and autism. 

In 2002, the NM legislature added two new levels of acupuncture professionals to the Board of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Practice Act.  They are: certified auricular detoxification specialists (CADS) and auricular detoxification specialist (ADS) Supervisors.  It also allowed an “approved training program” to train people to become ADS.  After being certified by the Board of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, CADS can offer the service in  “treatment programs for disease prevention, harm reduction or the treatment or prevention of alcoholism, substance abuse or chemical dependency.”    The ADS Supervisor, who is a DOM, will provide direct supervision at “program site at intervals of not more than six (6) weeks” (at least one time every six weeks), and be available by telephone at all times.  (Quotes are from the law and rules)

Why is it called “auricular detoxification”?

The positive effect of auricular (ear) acupuncture on detoxing heroin addicts was first observed in China in 1972.  Research and experiments led to the development of the NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) technique, also known as acu-detox or the 5 needle technique.  Over time, the treatment has proven very effective for other substances and for all stages of abuse, not just detox.  NM law establishes the name of the practitioners of the technique as auricular detoxification specialists. 

Short version

The technique was originally discovered and developed for heroin detoxification.

It is called auricular acupuncture detox because it is done on the ears.  In the years since its early use for detox, it has been shown to be effective for treatment, relapse prevention, harm reduction at all stages of substance use/abuse disorders.       

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