The Daily Mail has reported that acupuncture is being offered to prisoners with a history of drug use as part of a bid to combat their offending behaviour patterns.
Offering this service was my introduction to acupuncture. Whilst working as the manager for the Drug Support Team in local prisons we were asked to provide a simple ear acupuncture programme to prisoners who had previously or were still using illicit substances. We were trained up to deliver groups to prisoners in which 5 tiny needles were placed in each ear. The needles were to offer relaxation, support the liver, lungs and kidneys and to work on the brain and break the pattern of addiction. As a team, we and the prison officers were staggered by the results. Not only were prisoners not using drugs but officers reported that those who had ear acupuncture were calmer on the wings. They were more likely to volunteer to work on their offending behaviour by signing up to groups designed to reduce the risk of them re-offending. So it seemed that not only did the acupuncture make people relaxed, it also upped their motivation to change.
It was 3 years later, that I decided to re-train as an acupuncturist and I’m glad that I was part of something so ground-breaking and that this gave me the insight into what acupuncture could offer.