Community Acupuncture inspired by NADA

On Sunday, August 7, at 7 pm, Willo Walker, Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor, of Denman Island’s Kang Ren Clinic, will be offering another free acupuncture clinic in the Seniors Lounge. It will be the culmination of his weekend NADA Training workshop and those seeking pain relief or increased relaxation are invited to come receive treatment from trainees under his supervision.

Recipients are not limited to the use of needles. If one wishes, one can chose from other acupuncture methods such as ear seeds, essential oils, and laser therapy.

The earliest written evidence for the practice of acupuncture is from China in 200 BCE, and for over 2000 years acupuncture practitioners have upheld the tradition of community based medicine. In Asia, it has long been offered in group rather than individual settings and now the practice has taken root on Denman Island.

For those who are unfamiliar with Traditional Chinese Medicine, the NADA protocol is much the same as a standard acupuncture session except it’s more specific in focus, with the target being recovery from addiction, and the creation of a deep sense of mindfulness which allows the body to do what only it can do… heal itself. A session with a TCM doctor can be aimed at anything the recipient wishes to heal and usually takes place in a private setting, unlike a public NADA clinic.

NADA has been offered on Denman Island since Willo and Fiona established their clinic on Northwest Road in 2002, but what is it? The National Acupuncture Detox Association (NADA) has been teaching AcuDetox methods at NADA clinics for almost 40 years and Willo is a certified trainer in the NADA protocol. Auricular (outer ear) acupuncture has been applied clinically as a safe, effective and low cost approach to addressing: drug and alcohol detox; Post traumatic stress disorder; and to help people in disaster areas. Although it is understood that the NADA protocol, known also as AcuDetox or Five Point Ear Method, is well suited to being administered in group settings – recipients remain seated and need only their ears exposed to receive treatment – it is perhaps a less known fact that NADA is credited with inspiring the Community Acupuncture movement.

While Community Acupuncture clinics may be rooted in ancient tradition, they are meeting the inadequacies of mainstream healthcare by branching out to the global masses. In the spring of this year, the Community Acupuncture Network (CAN) organized its 9th Annual May Day Celebration in honour of International Workers’ Day, with the aim of offering free acupuncture to everyone. The initiative has spread, and out of it has sprung a revolution, calling for acupuncture to be a remedy to the soaring costs of bureaucratic healthcare, an unwieldy institution that has brought neither lasting relief nor increased resilience to all people. Please see The Remedy (2011), by Lisa Rohleder, to gain insight into how increased accessibility to this “peasant medicine” will help dismantle stubborn notions about what is truly important in the delivery of effective healthcare.

At our fingertips is a door to both relief and resilience. Acupuncture can be key to unlocking it. If you are interested in taking the 3-day NADA Training, or in attending the FREE acupuncture clinic, please contact Willo at 250-335-1535, or email denmantcm@gmail.com for more information.