Patients in recovery from opioid use disorder have an additional treatment option at a Beckley, W.Va., clinic, as a result of training provided at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM).
The school’s Center for Rural and Community Health (CRCH) is sponsoring the use of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol at Revive Healthcare, a medication-assisted treatment clinic based at Beckley Area Medical Clinic.
The NADA protocol is a form of acupuncture in which small needles are placed into five pressure points on the exterior of the ear. The technique is used alongside other treatments to reduce cravings for opioids and minimize withdrawal symptoms. It can also be beneficial in easing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and improving sleep, among other uses.
Samantha Lidel, a behavioral health therapist with Revive Healthcare, received training in administering the NADA protocol in 2019 during an educational session at WVSOM. She was subsequently certified by the national organization and the West Virginia Board of Acupuncture. Lidel said that since she began offering the NADA protocol in May, patients in recovery have shown increased compliance with attendance and treatment.
“Historically, many of our patients just come in when it’s convenient for them,” she said. “But since I’ve been offering NADA, I’ve seen that more of them are showing up for appointments, and they’re noticing the benefits. Some of them are having fewer drug cravings or have cut back on smoking cigarettes, and they’re having less anxiety, less stress, less depression. Auricular acupuncture is helping our patients make real progress in their recovery.”
Lidel has provided the protocol to 285 patients from nine West Virginia counties as of mid-August. She pointed out that it’s vital for behavioral health professionals to have a variety of methods to choose from in helping patients battle opioid use disorder.
“West Virginia has been one of the states hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, and we need deployable solutions to help our population,” Lidel said. “My goal is to offer a technique that people may have never thought about for individuals where medication is not enough. It’s just an extra tool to use.”
She emphasized that the use of the NADA protocol is voluntary on behalf of patients and that it’s performed in conjunction with talk therapy.
“Some patients use NADA in every appointment because it makes them feel relaxed and calm. Some people struggle with talking about past trauma or relapse — they can be hard subjects — and the acupuncture relaxes them enough to feel comfortable to open up about these issues,” Lidel said.
Auricular therapies have existed for thousands of years. In modern times, clinical trials dating to 1958 have shown the effectiveness of auricular acupuncture. The NADA protocol was developed in the 1970s, and currently more than 25,000 people have been trained in the technique worldwide, according to the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association.
WVSOM is sponsoring the use of the protocol using funds from the State Opioid Response Grant through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ Bureau for Behavioral Health. Jenna Hinkle, director of education for WVSOM’s CRCH, coordinates the grant for the school and said she is pleased that the response to the treatment has been positive.
“Samantha’s work has been extremely well received, and participants are loving it. Some of them are actually calling in and wanting to come more often,” Hinkle said.
She said she ultimately would like to see the protocol used beyond therapeutic settings, allowing it to benefit as many people as possible.
“Our goal remains to continue establishing partnerships and locations to offer this protocol to the recovery community,” Hinkle said. “We would love to have the same thing offered in a community setting so that anybody recovering from opioid use disorder can receive this treatment even if they’re not patients at a specific clinic.”
Deborah Schmidt, D.O., a WVSOM faculty member who helped bring NADA protocol training to southern West Virginia and who oversaw the session in which Lidel was trained, praised Lidel’s incorporation of the technique into patients’ treatments.
“I’m thrilled that Samantha has been able to put the training provided to her through the State Opioid Response Grant to good use in augmenting the care her patients receive. Hopefully, other frontline workers in recovery programs will be trained in this simple yet effective protocol so that we can help patients handle the stress of their daily lives during recovery. Everyone could use some stress reduction,” Schmidt said.