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NADA Offers Veterans Another Path to Whole Health and Well-Being

Poster for National Acupuncture Decertification Association event in Providence with photos of attendees.
A Veteran participates in the NADA Protocol at VA Providence, a 5-point auricular acupuncture approach used to support stress, emotional well-being and other Whole Health goals.

By Justyn Charon, Public Affairs Specialist

VA Providence offered Veterans access to the NADA Protocol, a 5-point auricular acupuncture approach used within Whole Health to support stress, emotional trauma, addiction treatment and overall well-being.

NADA—the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association Protocol—is a 5-point ear acupuncture protocol used for stress, emotional trauma and as an adjunct to addiction treatment. During the protocol, small sterile acupuncture needles are gently placed at specific points in each ear while participants sit quietly as a group, typically for 30 to 45 minutes. VA’s Whole Health Library identifies NADA as an approach that can be incorporated into Whole Health care. 

VA Whole Health materials also describe broader applications relevant to Veterans, including pain, anxiety, depression, PTSD, sleep difficulties, substance use disorders and general well-being. 

The approach fits within the larger Whole Health philosophy of looking beyond an individual diagnosis and considering what matters to each Veteran and what tools may help them improve their overall health and quality of life.

NADA is different from Battlefield Acupuncture, another auricular acupuncture protocol used within VA. Battlefield Acupuncture was developed primarily for pain management, while NADA has traditionally focused more heavily on stress, emotional trauma and adjunctive addiction treatment. 

Other VA health care systems currently offer NADA clinics as part of their Whole Health programming. VA Eastern Colorado, for example, describes its NADA clinic as supporting general well-being and providing potential relief from insomnia, PTSD and pain while improving mood. 

Providing Veterans access to approaches such as NADA expands the range of tools available to support their individual health goals and reinforces VA Providence’s commitment to Veteran-centered Whole Health.