Acupuncture points the way to drug-free life

Cody Bell, a 19-year-old who was picked up on a marijuana charge, was a little surprised to find out that part of his Drug Court commitment was having needles inserted into his ears every day.

"It was awkward at first and I was a little scared, but they said it would help cut my cravings, so I tried it," Bell said. "I smoked up until the day I got here, and since I've been getting needling, I haven't."

For Bell and other Drug Court participants, acupuncture is a fact of life. Bell attends acupuncture sessions six days a week and credits the thin flexible needles for keeping him off marijuana.

"Some people don't think that it works, but I know it does," Bell said. "I've only had one dirty urine test since I've been in the program, and that was the day after I missed my needling."

Bell receives auricular needling, meaning that his treatments are based in the ear, Yvonne Gettemy said. She is clinical coordinator at the Choices Unlimited facility that administers the acupuncture treatments along with taking urine samples and offering counseling sessions for program members.

Five tiny, very thin needles are placed in each ear and then the client relaxes for 30 minutes in a quiet, dim room. The room makes use of waterfalls, soft music and dim lights to enhance relaxation.

Auricular needling is used because of the similarity between the shape of the ear and a human fetus. It is believed that other body parts correspond to various points in the ear, Gettemy said.

"What the acupuncture does is rebalance the body's organs and chemicals," Gettemy said. "It really is a wonderful help for people with addictions. Some get the needling all the way through the program."

The classic Chinese explanation for the effectiveness of acupuncture is that channels of energy run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. Obstructions can occur to this energy flow, building a dam that restricts the flow in various parts of the body. Acupuncture is used to unblock dams and re-establish the flow.

The modern medical view is that acupuncture stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord and brain. These chemicals influence the body's internal regulation system.

During detoxification, which makes up the first phase of Drug Court treatment, the body must filter out the toxins it has been storing. During detoxification, circulation improves but can bring aches and sleepless nights.

When acupuncture releases the natural body chemicals, including endorphins, that help reduce cravings for drugs, it eases the aches and other withdrawal symptoms, Gettemy said.

The apprehensiveness to needling that Bell felt is a common first reaction, Gettemy said.

"Oh, yeah, I was a little bit nervous the first time I had needling," said a Drug Court participant who wished to remain anonymous. "But it really does work. I was surprised, but it really relaxed me."

Bell said he had been smoking pot regularly since he was 14, a span of five years. That is 23 years less than Steve Roush, a 44-year-old Drug Court participant, has been hooked on the drug.

"I've smoked pot for 28 years, and this (acupuncture) has made me quit," Roush said. "It doesn't even hurt, and it relaxes your craving."

When the needles are inserted into the ear, there is a tingling and a warmth, Roush said.

"It really is a calming procedure," Gettemy said. "Mostly it's the idea of needles that bothers people, but once they try it they realize that it is not a hurtful procedure."

Gettemy helped start the Drug Court program seven years ago as the only acupuncturist at Choices Unlimited. Now there are three other acupuncturists who work part-time at the clinic at 4850 W. Flamingo Road.

Participants are charged fees up to $30 to keep the program functioning.

Those who graduate from Drug Court are welcome to come back for needling if they need it, Gettemy said.

"Sometimes someone will go through the whole Drug Court process and graduate and then get in a situation where he is tempted by drugs," Gettemy said. "He gets antsy and runs back for needling, and we allow him to do that."

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