From the beginNing |
Where NADA IS now |
For centuries people have placed needles in precise locations on the body to relieve pain & treat disease. In 1973 an article in the New York Times described how Hong Kong doctors were using acupuncture to alleviate symptoms of opioid withdrawal & caught the attention of Mutulu Shakur.
Shakur was part of a movement of Black & Puerto Rican community organizers in the South Bronx that took over a wing at Lincoln Hospital in 1970 creating the People’s Program/Lincoln Detox, a community led health center. He & others sought training in acupuncture in Quebec & returned to the Bronx to provide treatments. In 1978 the center was closed. Shakur went on to co-found the Black Acupuncture Advisory Association of North America. Others moved their work to Lincoln Recovery Center nearby. Here, under the direction of Dr. Michael Smith, the treatment was further refined into what is now known as the NADA protocol. By the mid-80s, Lincoln workers developed a training program, allowing folks treating problematic substance to learn the protocol. _____________________ For more history check out the following documentaries: The People's Detox Dope is Death Takeover |
More than 1,000 programs in the U.S. & Canada now include NADA & the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association has trained more than 25,000 people worldwide.
The protocol is highly effective & also non-specific, supporting people experiencing addiction & other behavioral health conditions; reducing symptoms of PTSD; alleviating stress & anxiety; helping with psychiatric challenges, sickle cell, HIV, chronic pain, insomnia, & more. It continues to be used as a capacity-building tool in disaster relief, refugee camps, & international healthcare. |