NADA Means a Lot
By Dr. Renae Haldeman · New to some of these words? See the glossary.
Nada is a common Spanish word that means “nothing” in English. But the NADA we are learning about today does not mean nothing. It means A LOT!
NADA stands for the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association. It is an effective acupuncture treatment that uses points in the outer ear. The NADA protocol (a set plan) uses 5 points. These points have been found to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), behavioral health problems, and addiction.
This treatment was created in response to the opioid crisis of the 1970s. Why is the ear used? The ear is like a small map of the whole body. To picture it, imagine an upside-down baby. The baby’s head is the earlobe. The baby’s spine is the outer rim of the ear, called the helix. Each part of the body matches a part of the ear. So it makes sense that touching a point on the ear can affect the part of the body that causes symptoms, and so help ease them.
Patients can use acupuncture needles, ear tacks, a massage method, or earseed stickers (small seeds on stickers) to help start a healing response in the body.
A probe is a tool used to find and stimulate the acupuncture points in the protocol. Earseeds, ear tacks, a probe, or needles may be placed on the ear to help ease symptoms.
Today, many of us have family members or friends we care about deeply who are struggling with addiction or behavioral health problems. Let’s dream about a world where we or our loved ones can have one more real tool to help us overcome our darkest days.
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This article is educational and is not medical advice. Individual results vary. Please talk with a licensed healthcare provider about your own health.