Acupuncture for trauma

Policemen and other members of the law enforcement agencies, nurses and rescuers, firefighters, military personnel. But also refugees and migrants, victims of accidents, rape, assaults, bullying, people with a past with addiction to drugs or alcohol. There are many profiles suitable for acupuncture treatment against post-traumatic stress , promoted by the NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association). 

This method is enjoying great success in various areas of the world, especially when  applied to people veterans of war or natural disasters . 

NADA has developed a series of acupuncture techniques applied to the ears , with sessions of no more than half an hour each, which anyone, even without a medical or acupuncture background, can quickly learn in one of the courses available in the various national offices.  

We talk about it with South African acupuncturist doctor Linda Lee , who we have seen at work with the victims of the recent flood in Kerala .

Linda, what is behind the success of this acupuncture method?

There is  undisputed effectiveness in treating trauma and relieving the stress associated with it. 

Consolidated latest generation studies tell us that the verbal treatment of post-traumatic stress is not totally effective . This is because clinical experience tells us that trauma victims tend to have only fragmentary memories of the traumatic experience and not to see the whole picture. 

Verbalizing this fragmentary vision leads to the emphasis on only some parts, the bearable ones, and to the removal of the truly traumatic parts. This does not lead to real relief and overcoming the problem.  

In cases of mass disasters, this detox acupuncture technique  is a thousand times more effective than any form of counseling, not least because there is no need to speak the same language and takes about 20 minutes. 

How does the approach of this acupuncture method stand out?

Thanks to detox acupuncture, which is absolutely non-verbal, a complete hormonal relaxation is obtained , which allows the patient to remember the experience in its entirety without interpretation and without the duty to tell it to someone else or without fear of appearing weak or remark that you have failed. 

The mind needs to revisit the experience without the body contracting. In this therapy no one pushes you to say or see unpleasant facts , people ask of their own free will to continue the practice for several sessions until they feel ready to face the problem. 

How can this practice be learned?

Anyone can do it . Better if you know acupuncture but even without this education it is possible to apply seeds in specific points of the ears and fix them with a special adhesive. 

It is a totally non-invasive practice and the worst prospect in case of error is that nothing will happen, but there are no real contraindications. 

The association Acupuncture without borders offers training in this practice for free , and by costing the acupuncture needles relatively little, it is possible to practice it hypothetically even for free. 

If you are a non-medical practitioner, your file must be supervised by a doctor , nurse or paramedic. Once learned, it can be applied to anyone because, being totally non-verbal, it goes beyond culture and language barriers. Certification is also free .

This approach has also been proposed to survivors of the September 11, 2001 attacks and to families of the victims. 

In the hours in which we are writing the article, the association is committed to offering support to the victims of the massacre that took place in El Paso , in the United States, in which 20 people died in a shooting at the hands of 21-year-old Patrick Crusius.