Acudetox – The Course

About the Course 

Ear acupuncture is an excelletn adjunct to any workers priamry profession. One of ots many strenghts is that it alows for a large number of people to receive treatment in a very short period of time, this is particualrly useful in busy health centres, be these in the confines of a prison or the working areas of a substance mnisuse centre. Ear acupuncture has been shown to be most effective when used in combination with other therapies and support groups.

Who should attend

This course is open to:

  • Healthcare workers
  • Substance misuse workers
  • Nurses
  • Doctors
  • Therapists and non-therapists.
  • Prison workers
  • Support staff
  • Offenders past and present
  • No previous training in acupuncture is needed to attend.

This course is extreemely useful for people who are interested in the effective treatment of addiction and substance misuse, and has proven to be highly effective for busy treatment centres.

Learning aims and outcomes

Auricular Acupuncture is a simple, safe and effective approach to healthcare. This course has been structured to provide efficent well stuctured and improtanlty safe training for staff. It is underpinned by best practice and current research at all times.

The course has been designed to meet both the National Occupational Standards, and the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council’s standards of educaiton and training for Microsystems Acupuncture, Ear Acupuncture.

The training includes hands on practice with the Acudetox 5 points protocol, with follow up clinical management and supervision. Health and safety issues form a vital part of the training. 

Knowledge and Understanding – content of the course.

By the end of the training students will have covered the following areas:

  • The history, principles and development of Ear Acupuncture.
  • The rules, ethical standards and codes of conduct of Ear Acupuncture.
  • The importance of, and need to develop, a sensitive and intuitive approach to clients and their needs.
  • The importance of building a relationship of trust and support.
  • The importance of treating every client as an individual.
  • The importance of encouraging the client to be actively involved in their treatment.
  • The different assessment methods which may be applicable for assessing the client’s needs and evidence of their efficacy.
  • The importance of obtaining written informed consent before touching the client.
  • The importance of recognising and maintaining the client’s legal and ethical rights to confidentiality.
  • How to analyse an individual using the appropriate Ear Acupuncture techniques and a case history (which includes medical conditions and other factors conveyed by the client together with the acute/chronic nature of each issue and the client’s priority for improvement).
  • The treatment options available to an Ear Acupuncture practitioner and how they should be implemented.
  • How to locate and recognise areas of functional imbalance and/or resistance, and facilitate the client’s innate self-healing ability.
  • How to facilitate the integration of therapeutic changes which may have occurred during treatment.
  • How to identify and work with the following responses to the treatment:
  1. Psychological
  2. Emotional
  3. Physical
  4. No response.
  • How to respond to the physiological presentation of shock, emotional and/or physical trauma during the treatment.
  • How to recognise the completion of an individual’s therapeutic process and leave them grounded and balanced.
  • The potential outcomes of Ear Acupuncture:
  1. Resolution of the problem
  2. Increase in well-being
  3. Supporting the client in their process
  4. Healing reactions
  5. Abreactions
  6. No change
  • How to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of Ear Acupuncture
  • How to recognise those occasions when Ear Acupuncture may be appropriate and/or may complement other healthcare, which the client is receiving
  • How to recognise conditions for which Ear Acupuncture alone would be ill advised and for which the client should seek advice from other sources
  • The circumstances when you may choose not to accept a client or to cease treating a client:
  1. Ear Acupuncture is unlikely to succeed
  2. The client does not want Ear Acupuncture
  3. You do not wish to provide Ear Acupuncture
  • How Ear Acupuncture is contra-indicated
  • The range, purpose and limitations of different methods, which may be used for different clients with different needs
  • How to determine the most appropriate method(s) for different clients and their particular needs
  • How to tailor treatment appropriately for each individual
  • How to assess the appropriateness of self-care strategies for the client
  • Relevant anatomy for safe needling practice
  • Relevant microbiology for safe clinical practice
  • Relevant physiology, pathology and pharmacology
  • The limits of your competence, training and expertise, and when to refer the client on to other practitioners
  • The procedures for record keeping in accordance with legal and professional requirements

Performance Criteria

Candidiates who sucessfully complete the course will have been shown to be competent in the following areas:

  • Consult with the client and plan the Ear Acupuncture.
  • Ensure that the interventions used are within your scope of practice.
  • Obtain written informed consent to Ear Acupuncture.
  • Check that the environment meets the clients’ needs.
  • Ensure that any equipment and materials are ready for use and meet professional codes of practice, health and safety, legal and organisational requirements.
  • Prepare yourself appropriately to provide Ear Acupuncture.
  • Position the client for effective Ear Acupuncture and to give as much comfort as possible.
  • Carry out Ear Acupuncture safely and correctly.
  • Make appropriate adjustments to Ear Acupuncture to meet any changing needs.
  • Deal effectively with the client’s response to the Ear Acupuncture.
  • Check the client’s well-being throughout and give reassurance where needed.
  • Work with other professional, support staff, clients and users, relatives and carers.
  • Provide clear and accurate advice with regard to any relevant aftercare.
  • Evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of the Ear Acupuncture to inform future plans and actions.
  • Complete and maintain records in accordance with professional and legal requirements.

Assessment

We use a number of Formative and Summative assessment methods to ensure that students are competent and understand what they have covered.

This is acheived through the use of observation, feedback, questions and answers and an online assessment.

Clinical Supervision

The clinical supervision elelment will take place within 12 weeks of the intiatal trining, this is in place to allow practitoners to practice, and gain clinical experience.

The supervison day is a student led / centred session, allowing them to question, refine, and correct any clinical issues that may have arison in the past 12 weeks.