2052_HalfTitlePage 8/13/03 4:33 PM Page 1 Chinese Auricular Acupuncture 2052_TitlePage 8/13/03 4:32 PM Page 1 Chinese Auricular Acupuncture SKYA ABBATE CRC PR ESS Boca Raton London New York Washington, D.C. Photographs by David A. Brown and Anthony Abbate Calligraphy by Dr. Jishun Hao, DOM Illustrations by Jaye Oliver Medical knowledge is constantly changing. As new information becomes available, changes in treatment, procedures, equipment and the use of drugs become necessary. The author and the publisher have taken care to ensure that the information given in this text is accurate and up to date. However, readers are strongly advised to confirm that the information complies with the latest legislation and standards of practice. It is recommended that patients be under the care of a licensed healthcare provider. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Abbate, Skya. Chinese auricular acupuncture / Skya Abbate. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Contents: The ear: an ancient microsystem with modern applications — The anatomical terminology of auricular medicine — The location of 100 common ear points — The clinical energetics of the ear points — Cautions and contraindications — Ear modalities — Ear diagnosis and morphology — Ear prescription construction and formulas for specific conditions — Clinical research and effective points. ISBN 0-8493-2052-6 (alk. paper) 1. Ear—Acupuncture. I. Title. RM184.A234 2003 615.8′92—dc21 2003055166 This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reprinted material is quoted with permission, and sources are indicated. A wide variety of references are listed. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and the publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use. 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Visit the CRC Press Web site at www.crcpress.com © 2004 by CRC Press LLC No claim to original U.S. Government works International Standard Book Number 0-8493-2052-6 Library of Congress Card Number 2003055166 Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Printed on acid-free paper Dedication To my nephews and nieces: Anthony, Mark, Jennifer, Alex, Lauren, Rebekah, Elizabeth, Laura Grace, Nicole, Leah, David, Aaron, Adam, and Seth Remember — All good things are possible with God Foreword Pursuing an integrated approach to treatment, the practitioner of Chinese medicine must hold a clinical view that extends from a patient's depth to the outermost branch of his or her physical being. The practitioner must be able to touch the aspect of being that, in the context of the moment, will most efficiently help to promote functional balance. Skya Abbate has fur- thered the ability of practitioners to achieve these ideals by providing a comprehensive survey of ear acupuncture. Skya's text has the potential to allow the diligent reader to fully integrate treatment of the ear into clinical practice. Based on her many years of study and clinical experience, she illustrates for us the aspects of auricular therapy that she has found to be most effective. But more importantly, she provides a substantial foundation so we can continue to expand our knowledge of auricular therapy as we gain clinical experience. Her inclusion of a detailed section on ear diagnosis will allow readers to supplement their assessment of the pulse, tongue, and hara, thus improv- ing our ability to differentiate the functional basis of imbalance and illness. Unlike so many other texts, the ear is not presented as a "black box" whose efficacy is based on some mysterious cause-and-effect relationship to symp- toms. Rather than merely provide a list of points and symptoms for the practitioner to learn by rote, Skya explains the theory behind ear treatment in a way that is consistent with Chinese physiology. Her detailed tables and photographs serve as clear aids to help the student grasp whatever point she is illustrating. Having read Chinese Auricular Acupuncture, I was inspired to integrate auricular therapy and diagnosis into my own clinical practice, and I have been very pleased with the results. Skya's book is a gift to any practitioner wishing to extend his or her diagnostic abilities and clinical effectiveness. Lonny S. Jarrett, M.Ac., Author of Nourishing Destiny: The Inner Tradition of Chinese Medicine Preface The purpose of this book is to provide students and practitioners of Oriental medicine with a clear, concise, user-friendly manual on ear acupuncture. Many books abound on this topic, yet in this author’s experience, they tend to make the study of the ear more complicated than it needs to be. Addi- tionally, most are not practically oriented for the student or clinician who is interested in an easy to do, yet efficacious, modality. Nor do such books tend to explain auricular medicine within the framework of traditional Oriental energetics that is consistent with the use of the medicine. In this text, the reader is given the opportunity to reduce the need for memorization or the need to consult manuals for reference because the method of using ear acupuncture is consonant with the underpinnings of an education in tradi- tional Chinese medicine. I have practiced ear acupuncture for over 20 years and have taught it for over a decade. This adds to my ability to deliver a manual that can be studied independently and then easily used to treat the many diseases that characterize the human condition. But ultimately, the simplicity of the par- adigm presented and the way it is exposed should allow the reader to see the practical utilization of auricular therapy within the practice of Oriental medicine. In this way one can be weaned from the text because the thought processes of how to locate points, select modalities, construct prescriptions, and apply them to the uniqueness of each person have been carefully orga- nized and outlined. In contrast to many books, only one ear map is referred to instead of pages and pages of maps and systems. Thus, the art of auricular medicine is elegantly simplified. In addition to this central focus, this book contains other features that distinguish it from comparable texts. Differentiating features include the following: • Many photos of actual ears illustrate the pathology commonly seen in the ear. This pathology is incorporated into the text in order to teach differentiating ear morphology and diagnosis. • Most ear modalities (such as needles, press tacks, seeds, etc.) are also pictured to demonstrate treatment tools with which the practitioner may be unfamiliar, but might want to learn.