When I first learned about ear acupuncture, I was early in my career as a mental health provider. I knew only a few clinicians who practiced this and also found that this protocol was far more likely to be conducted in a substance use setting. When I first received an ear treatment and felt instant relaxation, I was hooked. Since then I made the decision to bring Ear Acupuncture to Through Liberty Counseling in the form of the 5NP Protocol.
What is it?
Ear Acupuncture, also known as AcuDetox or Auriculotherapy, is a form of acupuncture that uses smaller needles in specific points of the ear. The goal, in essence, is to help individuals detox. This may be a detox from addictive substances, but it may also be a detox from our body's response to stress.
(Image from https://www.okiepokeyclinic.com/ )
Common Uses & Benefits
Ear acupuncture, or auriculotherapy, has been recognized for its effectiveness in addressing various conditions. People have often heard of using acupuncture for anxiety, acupuncture for depression, or acupuncture for any number reasons, but many have not heard specifically about ear acupuncture or acudetox:
Anxiety
Calms the Nervous System: Facilitates relaxation by shifting the body from "fight or flight" mode.
Research Support: Studies indicate significant reductions in anxiety levels following ear acupuncture treatments.
Natural Relief: Provides a non-pharmaceutical approach to managing symptoms like restlessness and nervousness.
Depression
Enhances Mood: Stimulates the release of endorphins and serotonin, natural mood elevators.
Clinical Findings: Participants receiving auricular acupuncture have reported decreased severity of depressive symptoms.
Holistic Approach: Complements other treatments like therapy and lifestyle changes for comprehensive care. In fact, this is not designed to be used in isolation.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Supports Trauma Recovery: Reduces symptoms such as hypervigilance, insomnia, and emotional reactivity.
Aid for First Responders: After 9/11, ear acupuncture was utilized to help firefighters, law enforcement, and other first responders cope with trauma.
Community Access: Organizations like the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA) make treatments accessible to those affected by PTSD.
Promotes Safety and Calm: Helps create a sense of security within the body by calming overactive stress responses.
Substance Use Disorders
Assists with Detoxification: Originally developed to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
NADA Protocol Origins: The standardized five-point treatment was pioneered in the 1970s at the Lincoln Detox Center by activists from the Black Panther Party and the Young Lords.
Widely Adopted: Now used globally in recovery programs to support individuals on their journey to sobriety.
For more detailed information and supporting studies, you can refer to the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) at acudetox.com and the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA) at pocacoop.com.
If you are looking for acupuncture outside of the 5NP protocol or outside of the scope of an ADS, we recommend checking out Manchester Acupuncture Studio in Manchester, NH or Merrimack, NH.
If you are looking for different locations for receiving the 5NP, we recommend checking out HOPE for NH Recovery. (P.S. HOPE is free)
This is excellent educational material. I love 5NP and use it weekly for my own recovery and mental health improvement. Thank you for this!