Acupuncturist Emi uses the Acu-Detox method, where needles are inserted into cartilage of each ear.
On Monday mornings, a small group files into a room in the Centretown Community Health Centre. At 10:30, the lights are dimmed and the room goes quiet.
The men and women aren’t there for yoga class. They’re there for addiction treatment.
But, there are no methadone injections or nicotine patches passed around. The treatment offered in this room is acupuncture.
Acupuncture is a technique from ancient Chinese medicine involving the placement of superfine needles in certain points on the body. Two thousand years ago, it was used to try to re-balance the body’s energy.
Today, it’s still used to treat a wide range of ailments from shingles to withdrawal symptoms.
A specific method called Acu-Detox, that mandates five needles inserted into the cartilage of each ear, is the standard for addiction treatment. For 45 minutes, each person will sit silently in the dim light, with ten needles standing like porcupine spikes from the sides of their heads.
And it helps, says their acupuncturist, Emi, who for professional safety reasons didn’t want her last name used.
“They may say they’ve noticed they get better sleep; some say ‘It’s helped me have less, or not so intense cravings or urges.'”
Emi is an addictions counsellor at the Centretown CHC and the founder of the program. April marks its one-year anniversary.
She was a regular acupuncture client for years before she became certified to lead addiction-specific acupuncture treatment.
The sessions are nonverbal, meaning that unlike much of the therapy Emi leads, those in the circle aren’t expected to share their feelings about their addictions.
“It allows people to participate in a group event when they’re not comfortable sharing with other people,” she says. Emi says she doesn’t know what brings some of the attendees to the health centre.
The use of acupuncture to treat withdrawal symptoms dates back to Hong Kong in the 1970s, and has continued to inspire medical research since then.
Studies on acupuncture’s effect on hypertension and pain management have concluded it can create positive results but acupuncture as addiction treatment is still controversial. Proponents say lab tests show addicts suffer weaker cravings after acupuncture treatment, while cynics point to trials showing negligible improvements.
Science has yet to come up with an explanation for how these needles affect the body’s chemistry.
Greg Ward, an Ottawan who has been fighting his drug addictions for over 30 years, is a convert. He’s a regular at an acupuncture program at the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre, as well as at a more modern-era group therapy program.
“I think it’s the combination of the old and the new that really works for me,” he said.“Talking is important but the acupuncture is real, it’s physical, it’s tangible, you know? Sometimes it’s nice to actually do something physical.”
Ward has been clean for several months. He says he still thinks about using, but not with the same intense craving. After each acupuncture session, he feels “calm, relaxed, focused.”
Tranquillity is often needed by those with addictions, says Cat Biljan, head of the Ottawa Mission's acupuncture program.
“We take a good night of sleep for granted, but for someone with an addiction, getting that and getting a sense of calm can absolutely leave you in a better place to deal with cravings,” she says.
Jici Xu, owner of Xu Acupuncture on O’Connor Street, says addiction treatment is only a small part of his business, but interest is steady. He charges $50 a half hour and recommends two or three treatments a week.
In contrast, the program at the health centre is free.