NADA Protocol for Behavioral Health: Putting Tools in the Hands of Behavioral Health Providers
Stuyt EB, Voyles CA, Bursac S
Medicines. 2018;5(4):108
Describes the integration of the NADA Protocol into behavioral health settings, including training non-acupuncturists, treatment of anxiety and PTSD, and outcomes in community mental health programs.
Read more →NADA Ear Acupuncture: An Adjunctive Therapy to Improve and Maintain Positive Outcomes in Substance Abuse Treatment
Williams T
Behavioral Health, 2017 (NADA Training Manual Reference)
Overview of the NADA Protocol as used in behavioral health treatment programs, covering group delivery format, training requirements, and documented outcomes in improving treatment retention and reducing anxiety.
Five-Needle Auricular Acupuncture Trial (FIVE-AT) to Reduce Emergency Department Utilization for Opiate-Dependent Patients
Stuyt EB, Voyles CA
Journal of Addictive Diseases. 2016;35(1):45-51
Study demonstrating that NADA Protocol reduced emergency department visits and improved treatment engagement among opiate-dependent patients in a community mental health setting.
Read more →Ear Acupuncture in European Traditional Medicine
Raben R
Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur. 2015;58(3):18-21
Overview of the NADA Protocol's development from Lincoln Hospital in the 1970s through its adoption across European healthcare systems, describing standardized training and integration into psychiatric and addiction services.
The Use of Auricular Acupuncture for the Treatment of Combat-Related PTSD
King HC, Hickey AH, Connors C
Medical Acupuncture. 2013;25(5):351-365
Review of auricular acupuncture including the NADA Protocol in military and veterans' settings for PTSD, reporting improvements in sleep quality, hyperarousal, and anxiety among combat veterans.
Read more →Auricular Acupuncture for Substance Abuse: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the NADA Protocol
Carter KO, Olshan-Perlmutter M, Norton HJ, Smith MO
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. 2011;6:19
RCT examining NADA Protocol in substance abuse treatment, finding significant reductions in self-reported anxiety and cravings among participants receiving auricular acupuncture versus sham.
Read more →Auricular Acupuncture as an Adjunct to Opiate Agonist Treatment: A Randomized Trial of Effects on Comorbid Psychiatric Symptoms
Courbasson CMA, de Sorkin AA, Dullerud B, Van Wyk L
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 2007;33(4):453-461
Canadian RCT conducted at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto examining NADA Protocol as adjunct to methadone maintenance. Found significant improvements in psychiatric symptom severity.
Read more →TIP 45: Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment — Acupuncture
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 45. Rockville, MD: SAMHSA, 2006.
U.S. federal clinical guideline that includes the NADA Protocol as an evidence-supported adjunctive treatment for detoxification. References its use in over 700 programs and its role in improving treatment retention and reducing withdrawal symptoms.
Read more →Acupuncture for Alcohol and Drug Dependence: A Systematic Review of Controlled Clinical Trials
Gates S, Smith LA, Foxcroft DR
International Journal of Drug Policy. 2006;17(4):311-323
Cochrane-affiliated systematic review of acupuncture for substance dependence. Notes methodological challenges but identifies promising signals in treatment retention and symptom reduction, particularly for the NADA Protocol.
Read more →Auricular Acupuncture and the NADA Protocol in the Criminal Justice System: A Review
Bresler M
Acupuncture in Medicine. 2004;22(4):210-218
Review of NADA Protocol adoption in drug treatment courts, correctional facilities, and probation/parole programs. Reports improved compliance, reduced recidivism, and high participant satisfaction.
Auricular Acupuncture in the Treatment of Cocaine/Crack Abuse: A Review of the Efficacy, the Use of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association Protocol, and the Selection of Sham Points
Margolin A, Kleber HD, Avants SK, Konefal J, Gawin F, Stark E, et al.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2002;8(4):427-438
Comprehensive review of NADA Protocol efficacy in cocaine/crack treatment, evaluating methodology across multiple studies and the selection of appropriate control conditions.
Read more →Acudetox: A National Survey of NADA-Affiliated Clinics
Stuyt EB
Journal of Maintenance in the Addictions. 2001;2(1-2):85-96
National survey of NADA-affiliated programs documenting implementation patterns, patient populations, treatment settings, and clinical outcomes across diverse U.S. treatment sites.
The Role of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Smith MO
National Acupuncture Detoxification Association Literature Review. New York, 2001.
Foundational literature review by NADA co-founder Dr. Michael O. Smith summarizing the protocol's development at Lincoln Hospital and its evidence base across addiction, mental health, and criminal justice applications.
Acupuncture for the Treatment of Cocaine Addiction
Avants SK, Margolin A, Holford TR, Kosten TR
JAMA. 2000;283(1):55-62
Randomized controlled trial demonstrating that auricular acupuncture was significantly more effective than needle-insertion control or relaxation control in reducing cocaine use among cocaine-dependent adults in methadone maintenance.
Read more →The Lincoln Hospital Acupuncture Drug Abuse Program
Smith MO, Khan I
American Journal of Acupuncture. 1988;16(3):241-245
Seminal paper describing the original NADA Protocol developed at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx. Documents the shift from body acupuncture to the standardized 5-point ear protocol and early outcomes in opiate and crack cocaine addiction.