Acupuncture Annual Report 2011

In November 2010 New Highway raised funding for a three year auricular acupuncture project from the Big Lottery Fund With the support of the grant a full time worker was employed to develop the delivery across Bath and North East Somerset as well as our Wiltshire satellites.

The funding allows for twelve former service users each year to be trained to deliver acupuncture to current service users and anyone who has had a history of drug or alcohol problems.

Evidence has shown that the use of auricular acupuncture help to improve sleep, and relieve some of the side effects of reducing use of opiates and stimulants using particular pressure points in the ear.

Each session lasts for approx. 50 minutes. Participants are taken through an initial interview to understand what they want to gain from the session as well as understanding where they are on their treatment journey. They are asked about their hepatitis c status and referred for testing where necessary. These questions enable the acupuncturist to be able to offer the best support possible and tailor the treatment to meet the participant’s needs.

Placing the acupuncture needles takes a few minutes and then the group are asked to sit in meditative/ contemplative silence and using candles and soothing music they sit for 25-30 minutes focussing on their breathing. It is not unusual for people to fall asleep at this point.

Although the delivery of acupuncture to our service users is the focus of the project, the outcomes are directed towards the needs of the volunteers. Each acupuncturist is offered a personal coaching session every 4-6 weeks allowing them to identify their goals and the steps they might take to reach them. The process is aimed at improving the volunteers’ ability to gain access to future employment, education or training. Many of the volunteers are at the end of treatment or in the early stages of abstinence. Their involvement offers opportunities to structure daytime activities as well as acting as role models for their peers.

We are really excited about the opportunities this project offers our service users and the tangible benefits for those in early recovery. Watch this space!

Adrian Murphy
Acupuncture Team Leader