National Acupuncture Detoxification Association

What National Acupuncture Detoxification Association does

The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1985 and headquartered in Clinton, Maryland. It standardizes, trains, and certifies providers in the NADA Protocol — a non-verbal, group-based auricular acupuncture treatment in which up to five fine-gauge, sterilized disposable needles are placed at designated ear points (shen men, sympathetic, kidney, liver, lung) for 30–45 minutes. The protocol is positioned as a low-cost, drug-free, cross-culturally compatible adjunct for addiction, mental health, trauma, and disaster response, and can be administered by non-acupuncturist health professionals after training.

NADA's product surface centers on a digital platform (acudetox.com and app.acudetox.com) that issues multi-year subscriptions ($100/year, $185/2 years, $270/3 years), lists 40+ Registered Trainers, registers trainees for ADS (Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist) certification, runs a public certificate verification service, hosts a Resource Library, operates an events calendar and group-training registration, and runs a third-party Marketplace for NADA-branded merchandise. Training is delivered in person through the Registered Trainer network and supplemented by an annual conference, monthly Membership Café sessions, the bimonthly Guidepoints newsletter, and an active Resource Library of articles, research, and conference presentations.

The business model combines subscription/membership revenue from certified Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists and Registered Trainers, training registration fees shared with trainers, donations (including earmarked funds for the Spirit of NADA outreach and an Endowment Fund for legislative advocacy), and marketplace commissions. NADA reports more than 25,000 health workers trained globally, an estimated 2,000+ clinics worldwide, and more than 1,000 publicly licensed U.S. addiction treatment programs using acupuncture as a therapeutic tool. The organization operates with a very small staff (1–10) and a volunteer board of directors, and is independent of government, foundation, or philanthropic dependency.

Name

National Acupuncture Detoxification Association

Legal name

National Acupuncture Detoxification Association

Website

https://acudetox.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that trains, certifies, and supports healthcare providers in the NADA five-point ear acupuncture protocol used as an adjunctive treatment for addiction, trauma, and mental health across the U.S. and 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Acupuncture Training and Behavioral Health Certification

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Detoxification Centers (Medical Detox) (HLAFACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) & Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) (HLAFACAG)

Keywords

• Acupuncture training
• Behavioral health protocol
• Addiction recovery services
• Ear acupuncture certification
• Holistic health training

Headquarters

HQ city

Laramie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: NADA operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through annual membership dues from certified Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists and Registered Trainers. Membership provides access to training registration, certification, and member resources.
2. Training Registration Fees: A portion of fees paid by trainees learning the NADA protocol. Training leads to certification as an Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist through NADA Registered Trainers.
3. Donations: NADA receives personal and corporate donations earmarked for specific helping projects, primarily related to training or providing clinical services to deprived or disaster-damaged populations, mostly outside of North America.
4. NADA Shop/Marketplace: The organization operates a marketplace where vendors can sell NADA merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, polos, aprons) and drinkware (tumblers). Vendors apply to sell on the marketplace.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NADA standardizes and disseminates the NADA Protocol, a non-verbal five-point ear acupuncture treatment for addictions, mental health, and trauma. The organization trains and certifies healthcare providers as Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists (ADS) and Registered Trainers (RT) through a network of 40+ trainers, supported by annual memberships, training registration fees, an online resource library, and a merchandise marketplace.

Product overview

The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association operates a platform-centered model consisting of its core NADA Protocol (a five-point ear acupuncture treatment for addictions and trauma), supported by subscription-based membership services, a training and certification program for Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists and Registered Trainers, and supplementary digital services including a Resource Library, Marketplace, Events platform, Certificate Verification, and Group Training Registration. The organization publishes Guidepoints, a quarterly newsletter for members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NADA Protocol The NADA Protocol is a non-verbal ear acupuncture treatment involving the gentle placement of up to five small, sterilized disposable needles into specific auricular sites (shen men, sympathetic, kidney, liver, lung). Recipients sit quietly in a group setting for 30-45 minutes. It is used for addictions, mental health, trauma, and disaster recovery, and is clinically effective, drug-free, cross-culturally compatible, and can be delivered by non-acupuncturist trained providers.
• NADA Membership Subscription Plans Annual or multi-year membership providing access to training registration, a digital NADA certificate with unique NADA ID, training registration access, public certificate verification, and full NADA subscription benefits. Plans are 1 year ($100), 2 years ($185), and 3 years ($270), with discounted rates for currently enrolled students and seniors.
• NADA Training Program (ADS / Registered Trainer Certification) Training and certification pathway for healthcare providers and behavioral health professionals to become Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists (ADS) or NADA Registered Trainers (RT). Delivered through 40+ registered trainers in public workshops, private agency trainings, and individual practitioner sessions, with classroom instruction plus a hands-on clinical practicum (40-hour requirement referenced). Certification is processed in the NADA database and verified through the public certificate verification service.
• NADA Certificate Verification Service Public-facing service allowing anyone to verify the authenticity of a NADA certificate using a certificate number or unique NADA ID; supports employer, patient, and partner due diligence.
• NADA Group Training Registration Bulk team registration system that allows organizations to register multiple team members for a NADA training session together, with bulk pricing options for healthcare facilities and agencies.
• NADA Events Platform Event registration platform for upcoming NADA training sessions, workshops, regional meetings, and the annual conference.
• NADA Marketplace / Shop Online marketplace at app.acudetox.com/shop where approved vendors sell NADA-branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, polos, aprons) and drinkware (stainless steel tumblers). Vendors apply through the vendor marketplace application.
• Vendor Marketplace Application Application platform for third-party vendors to apply to sell products on the NADA Marketplace and reach NADA subscribers with branded merchandise.
• NADA Donations Program Charitable donation program offering four funds: General Donation, NADA North America (operational capacity for members and the public), Spirit of NADA Fund (training/outreach in underserved and disaster-struck communities), and Endowment Fund (legislative advocacy). Preset donation tiers of $20, $30, $40, $50 with custom amount option; donations may be tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3).

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,000 addiction treatment programs in the U.S. include acupuncture as a therapeutic tool
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM): NCCAOM is the U.S. national certification body for acupuncturists and Oriental medicine practitioners. It is adjacent to NADA because NADA's president (Dr. Carter) holds NCCAOM board certification and NADA's Registered Trainer network operates alongside formal acupuncture credentials.

Direct peers

• Faces & Voices of Recovery: Faces & Voices of Recovery is a recovery community organization that trains, advocates, and amplifies addiction recovery; comparable to NADA as a nonprofit hub providing training, resources, and advocacy infrastructure for a defined addiction recovery constituency.
• National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP): NAATP is the U.S. trade association representing addiction treatment providers, paralleling NADA's role as a membership organization that trains, certifies, and advocates for providers of a specific addiction-treatment modality. Both serve as industry associations linking practitioners, programs, and policy advocacy.
• Harm Reduction Coalition: Harm Reduction Coalition is a national advocacy and training organization for harm reduction practitioners serving people who use drugs—a closely overlapping service population with NADA's harm reduction use cases (e.g., OnPoint NYC) and a comparable nonprofit training-and-advocacy model.
• SMART Recovery: SMART Recovery is a nonprofit mutual-support and training organization offering a structured addiction recovery program, similar in business model to NADA: nonprofit, membership-driven, training providers in a specific addiction intervention, and serving overlapping populations including addiction, mental health, and corrections settings.

Regional players

• British Acupuncture Council (BAcC): BAcC is the UK's leading self-regulatory body for traditional acupuncture practitioners, with membership, training standards, and advocacy. Comparable to NADA as a membership-driven acupuncture professional body, but U.K.-focused and covering general acupuncture rather than NADA's behavioral-health protocol.

Broad incumbents

• American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM): ASAM is the broad U.S. professional society for physicians specializing in addiction medicine; it certifies addiction specialists, publishes clinical guidelines, and advocates on policy. Comparable to NADA in serving as a credentialing and standards body for addiction treatment, but with a much broader scope and physician focus.

Emerging players

• Drug Policy Alliance: Drug Policy Alliance is a leading U.S. drug policy reform nonprofit that advocates for evidence-based treatment and harm reduction. It overlaps thematically with NADA's harm reduction and substance use treatment work and shares a nonprofit advocacy/training footprint, but focuses on policy reform rather than a clinical protocol.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61551183478674
• Instagraminstagram.com/nadaspirit24
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-acupuncture-detoxification-association-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Acupuncture Detoxification Association