What is Auricular Therapy?

The ear is one of many reflex systems that comprise the body.  A reflex system is where the whole body is represented in a part of the body.  Sometimes referred to as “microsystems,”  they are 2 way communication systems of the body.  They reflect the condition of a part of the body and can also treat it.  The most familiar reflex systems are hand and foot reflexology.  Auricular therapy is the evaluation and stimulation of the external ear for the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions in other parts of the body.  

Auricular Therapy has been used for thousands of years. Early Chinese doctors used the ear in diagnosis and treatment.  Hippocrates bled points behind the ears for impotence and sciatic pain.  In the European Middle Ages medical texts report treatment the of ear for sciatic pain.  In 1956, Dr. Paul Nogier of France, developed a complete map of the ear as a reflex system.  He created a model using an inverted fetus as basic image.  His work has been validated by doctors around the world.   In 1973, in New York, Dr. Michael Smith  developed a protocol for withdrawal from substance abuse by treating 5 points on the ear. He formed National Acupuncture Detoxification Association( NADA).

 

Used by acupuncturists, physicians, chiropractors, massage therapists, psychologists and other health care providers, auricular therapy is one of the lesser known, though extremely effective alternative healing modalities. Points on the ear can be stimulated by manual pressure, needles, lasers, magnets, and ear acupressure pellets.  Auricular therapy without needles can be as effective as acupuncture. In 1990, the Director of the World Health Organization said “Auricular acupuncture is probably the most developed and best documented, scientifically, of all the microsystems of acupuncture and is the most practical and widely used.”  

 

One of the most surprising aspects of auricular therapy is that almost any condition can benefit from auricular treatment.   Treatment of pain, stress, insomnia, addictions, anxiety, arthritis, headaches, menopause and many other conditions can be enhanced with the addition of auricular therapy.  It is intended to be an adjunct to other forms of therapy. It is not intended to be a replacement for other appropriate medical care.  

 

Research in China has established that Auricular Therapy is effective in 85% of cases and can treat over 200 diseases and disorders.  In 1980, the UCLA Pain Management Center conducted a double blind study to verify the scientific accuracy of auricular diagnosis. It found a 75% accuracy rate in diagnosing Musculoskeletal pain problems through observation and palpation of the ear.  A study at the Adelaide University, South Australia tested auricular therapy in weight loss.  It found that auricular therapy can suppress appetite.  The number of people who lost weight and the amount of weight lost was significantly higher in the auricular therapy group.

All of this points to one amazing health and wellness healing modality – and the ears have it!