In my practice, I like to utilize both body and ear points to make your treatment stronger, sort of like a two-for-one deal. Sometimes I just choose a few points “a-la-carte” to boost the effects of your treatment, and sometimes I use point protocols or recipes that are well-established for certain complaints. Two of my favorites are Battlefield Acupuncture and the NADA Protocol.

Battlefield Acupuncture is an ear protocol used for pain management by the Veteran’s Administration and the Department of Defense. Practitioners find it can effectively reduce acute and chronic pain, reducing the need for opioid medications. You can learn more about the military’s use of acupuncture here. I find these points helpful to provide short-term pain relief while we’re working on the deeper issue with body points.

NADA stands for National Acupuncture Detoxification Association, and this protocol is extremely helpful for the treatment of addiction, anxiety, pain, and PTSD. In fact, it was initially developed by Black revolutionaries as an alternative to methadone in a detox clinic in the South Bronx in the early 1970s. You can learn about this fascinating history in this article from the American Journal of Public Health, this brief documentary, or in the longer film Dope is Death. The NADA Protocol is widely used today in a variety of settings including clinics and hospitals, residential treatment centers, and mobile clinics set up after community crises or natural disasters by groups like Acupuncturists Without Borders.

Ear points are extremely safe and effective. The only downside to using them is that they can be slightly painful on insertion. Any discomfort is typically brief, so I find the benefits are worth it for most people. But if you just hate ear points, don’t suffer in silence! Let me know at the beginning of your treatment if you’d prefer I skip them.