How does acupuncture fit with drug testing?

Resources for Acupuncture in Chemical Dependency Treatment and Recovery

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

What kinds of agencies or services should think about adding an acupuncture component?

Does acupuncture really work?

Are there any drugs that it doesn't work for?

Does it help with other addictions?

How much does it cost?

How do programs pay for it?

Is acupuncture safe? What are the liability issues? Is there increased risk of spreading infectious disease?

Does the treatment hurt?

How much time does the treatment take?

Do clients need to make an appointment for acupuncture?

What do clients do while they're getting needled?

How does acupuncture fit with drug testing?

Due to the popularity of drug courts, urine testing in some form has become a standard feature in many alcohol and other drug treatment programs. Acupuncture for addiction has been used in conjunction with urine testing from its inception at Lincoln Recovery Center in New York, and the initial design of drug court program in Florida fully integrated acupuncture with urine testing.

While random urine testing is often viewed by clients as a potentially "punitive" monitoring device, the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) recommends daily urine testing for all clients in the program with the goal of education and therapeutic feedback rather than punitive disclosure, and many local criminal justice referral agencies have fully endorsed this approach for the clients they refer.

At Lincoln and similar programs, the computer software interfaces with an on-site urine testing machine. With substantial client numbers, the cost of urinalysis for the single drug for which the client has been referred to treatment can be reduced to as little as a dollar and a half per test. Multiple client urines are tested at once, and the data is downloaded to the client's attendance file. A print-out of urine toxicity patterns over the period of the client's treatment attendance can be generated while the client is having acupuncture. A subsequent counseling session that begins with the client having this print-out in hand can commence at a far more therapeutic level, because the client's progress is already objectively established. Clinical experience shows that clients come to appreciate this daily feedback. (for a more complete discussion, see "New Perspectives in Chemical Dependency Treatment" in The Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.

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