The Amazing Science of Auriculotherapy Pain Relief, Smoking Cessation, Weight Loss and the Healing of 350 Diseases through Ear Acupressure © Copyright 2011 Think-Outside-the-Book Publishing, LLC All Rights Reserved Introduction Auriculotherapy (aw-RIK-ulo-therapy), also called auricular therapy, is a branch of alternative medicine that has its roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is a state-of-the-art therapy for the treatment of over 350 diseases, and is a clinical science recognized by the World Health Organization and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One of the core principles of this healing technology is that the outer portion of the ear (i.e., the auricle) is a microsystem that represents every part of the human body. In other words, every point of the outer ear corresponds to, and is associated with, a specific part of the human anatomy. Whereas general body acupuncture addresses health problems by working on the energy meridians of the body, auriculotherapy is based on nerve connections (in the human nervous system) and offers specific localized treatment for the organs or systems involved in the health problem. Auriculotherapy has been used successfully for ... ● smoking cessation ● allergies ● weight loss ● pain relief (including back pain, headaches, neck pain, sciatica pain, radiating pain to arms or legs) ● sexual stimulation (increasing sexual arousal) ● sexual suppression (decreasing sexual arousal) ● hypertension ● stress relief ● insomnia ● immune response against infection ● depression and other mental disorders ● recovery from paralysis ● sleep apnea ● nausea ● sinusitis ● bronchitis ● cold and flu symptoms ● gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn’s disease ● the correction of imbalances in the body ... and a wide variety of health conditions originating from every bodily system. For many people, auriculotherapy is also the treatment of choice for eliminating addictive behaviors including alcohol and drug abuse (street and recreational drugs), attention deficit disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and even gambling. . Auriculotherapy is similar to ear acupuncture but instead of using needles, a microcurrent stimulator is placed on reflex points on the outer ear. These points then send a message to the brain based on the location of the reflex point being treated. This book will present various modes of auriculotherapy administration, including sonopuncture (ultrasound), laser therapy, electro-acupuncture and piezo electric acupuncture stimulator. However, the main focus will be on administering auriculotherapy through ear acupressure (also called ear reflexology). This will enable you to employ the do-it-yourself approach at home. Ear acupressure is a method that requires the use of your fingers (or simple paraphernalia, such as herbal beads, pellets or a blunt wand) to apply pressure on the reflex points (also referred to as auricular points). Although this method is very simple, it can nonetheless, help you experience the therapeutic benefits mentioned above – without needles, micro-current, special equipment, or a visit to a health practitioner who specializes in auriculotherapy. History of Auriculotherapy "The ear is the place where all the acupuncture channels meet." -- Nei Ching, the Yellow Emperors' Classic of Internal Medicine The earliest written records of ear acupuncture date back to the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, which mentions specific acupuncture points on the external ear used for the relief of certain medical disorders. Even prior to such written texts, medical treatments using auricular stimulation had already been employed in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and Persia. It wasn’t until the 1950s, however, that the specific ear points were mapped out as a complete therapeutic system. Dr. Paul Nogier, a French physicist from Lyon, France was the first to observe that the structure of the ear appeared to be a mirror image of an inverted human fetus -- that is, the ear is a microcosmic representation of the entire body. As such, the ear lobe, which is the lowest part of the outer ear, represents the head, and with this as a reference point, one can identify the corresponding anatomical parts accordingly. For example, the knee, corresponds precisely with the fetal representation of the knee in the auricle, and so does the torso, internal organs, neurological systems and extremities. Thus, one could treat various areas of the body through their corresponding points in the ear. Indeed, a large number of points have been identified on the outer ear which have been observed to become spontaneously tender (or have morphological or coloration reactions) to the presence of disease or injury elsewhere in the body. It was observed that there was a consistency in the tenderness, morphological or coloration responses among most test subjects for the exact same ear points. Thereafter, it was reported that stimulation of these ear points produced therapeutic effects on those parts of the body to which they corresponded. The discovery of the ear points and their therapeutic implications occurred when Dr. Nogier noticed that some of his patients had cauterized a specific area of their outer ear to relieve their low back pain. Dr. Nogier conducted a similar procedure on his own sciatica patients and discovered that his patients were likewise relieved of their back pain. He experimented stimulating the "sciatica point" on the ear using acupuncture needles, and found that the needles were equally effective in relieving sciatica pain. . From that single observation of therapeutic benefit stemming from the stimulation of an ear point, Dr. Nogier theorized that if the upper area of the outer ear is effective in treating low back pain, perhaps stimulating other parts of the ear in similar fashion could treat other parts of the body. His theory proved correct. Since Dr. Nogier had already observed that the ear represents the human anatomy in an upside down orientation, he then developed a somatotopic correlation of specific parts of the body to specific parts of the ear. Soon thereafter, he prepared the very first map of the ear, and consequently introduced to the world a successful clinical blueprint that provides effective treatment of various health conditions. . Dr. Nogier’s somatotopic map, a chart which superimposes an upside down fetus over the auricle of the ear, was first presented to naturopathic practitioners in France in 1957. Thus, the practice of auriculotherapy was born, and word spread to acupuncturists in Germany. . The Chinese adopted the inverted fetus model of ear acupuncture in 1958. Since then, the use of specific ear points as a therapeutic remedy for a variety of health problems has been used by clinical practitioners in other parts of Europe, in Asia, and in North and South America. As a result, Dr. Nogier has come to be known as the Father of Modern Auriculotherapy. In the 1960s, the Chinese did a large-scale study using acupuncture in the ear, and proposed a similar though slightly different somatotopic map. It is a combination of these two charts which makes up the modern points used in most chiropractic offices today. . . Ear acupuncture has been practiced in Asia for over 2,000 years, and auriculotherapy has been used in continental Europe for the past 50 years. However, auriculotherapy has only recently been considered as a treatment option for pain and addiction by medical doctors in the United States. In November 1997, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) approved the practice of acupuncture. The approval included an evaluation of those studies which supported the use of ear acupuncture for pain relief and addiction treatment. How is Auriculotherapy Administered? Auriculotherapy is conducted by a variety of health and medical practitioners, including acupuncturists, biofeedback therapists, chiropractic doctors, medical doctors, dentists, naturopathic doctors, nurses, physical therapists, osteopathic doctors, psychotherapists, and reflexology therapists. . Many auriculotherapy practitioners employ a small electronic pulse to stimulate the auricular points. You're asked to lie down or sit on a chair, and a therapist uses a mechanical probe to detect the specific points on your ear that need treatment. Once identified, each ear reflex point is stimulated for 10 to 30 seconds, requiring a total of 20 minutes for successively treating various points on each ear. The treatment involves no pain, although you may feel light pressure during stimulation. . Other auriculotherapists use sonopuncture, which uses sound vibrations (instead of acupuncture needles) to stimulate acupuncture points. This mode of administration is also painless, and can be a standalone treatment, or used in combination with other therapies. Sonopuncture is the ideal way of administering auriculotherapy when the reflex points that require treatment are painful to stimulate using other means, and for auricular points that are located on a bone. An in-clinic treatment is fairly quick, lasting only fifteen to forty five seconds. Still other practitioners use Piezo Therapy to administer auriculotherapy. This is a simple practice which involves the use of piezoelectric stimulation of the auricular points. Piezoelectricity refers to a spark of electricity generated when crystals are subjected to mechanical stress. The spark generated is not unlike the spark produced when you click on an electronic lighter, and piezoelectricity is particularly effective in relieving pain, especially aching muscles. The Piezo treatment entails simply placing the tip of a Piezo device on the auricular point and pushing a button located at the top of the device (also called a plunger) multiple times. The device emits a low electronic pulse that stimulates the nervous system with each push, and also balances the flow of energy through the meridians. Since mechanical pressure is applied to the device, no batteries or electrical current are required to operate the Piezo device. This form of auriculotherapy is painless, yet surprisingly effective. You can administer Piezo stimulation on yourself or have an auriculotherapist administer it on you. Portable Piezo stimulators, such as the one pictured above, have been available on the market for years. (Note: A search on Google for the key phrase "Piezo stimulators" will help you find suppliers.) However, manufacturers and sellers of these devices have always suggested that the user click on the device directly on the part of the body that is painful or requires treatment. Pointing the device on auricular points that correspond to the organ or part of the body (requiring treatment) has been proven to be more effective and deliver an immediate effect. Pain often dissipates after just a few clicks on the appropriate auricular points. . By far, the simplest mode of auriculotherapy administration is acupressure, which utilizes finger pressure, or a narrow, blunt-tipped wand, such as the end of a match stick. . When employing the fingers, pressure may be applied using the forefinger and/or thumb on any given point. The auricular point is pressed or massaged between 30 to 60 seconds. The standard duration is 30 seconds per point. To verify that you're effectively applying auriculotherapy, the part of the ear being treated should turn reddish in color and develop a warm sensation upon being treated. Other ways of administering ear acupressure involve the use of tiny ear tacks, therapeutic seeds, or stainless steel balls plated with silver, gold, platinum, or no coating at all. Sometimes, magnets or magnetized balls are also used. These paraphernalia are placed on precise therapeutic areas of the ear, and secured with small sections of sterile clear or surgical tape. There are also products available, such as AcuBead ® Acupressure strips that make the practice of ear acupressure easier. You simply place the strip (equipped with individual beads) on appropriate auricular pressure points. . Health Benefits (and Little-Known Amazing Effects) of Auriculotherapy Since the outer ear is a microsystem that connects to every part of the human body, auriculotherapy relieves a wide variety of health problems. Virtually all health conditions can be improved to some degree by stimulating the ear points. Many practitioners of Qi Gong, an internal Chinese healing art that promotes the circulation of qi (pronounced chee), or vital energy, within the human body, make it a daily practice to massage their ears as a way of enhancing overall health. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that pain, disease, or dysfunction is due to a blockage of qi within the body. The stimulation of ear acupuncture points is believed to help restore the normal flow of qi, thereby relieving symptoms that resulted from its stagnation or blockage. . Here’s the simple procedure for massaging your ears to promote health: 1) First rub your hands together (to build warmth and to allow energy to flow to your palms and fingertips). 2) Bring your hands to your ears and begin squeezing and pressing every inch of both ears so that your fingers come in contact with as many of the hundreds of reflex points in your ears as possible. 3) If you find a tender spot on an ear (which is not a pimple or injury to the ear), squeeze that spot using firm pressure 3 times, then squeeze it again 3 times using soft pressure. Repeat the firm and soft squeezing for as long as it feels comfortable. 4) End your ear massage with three tugs as follows: grasp the entire ear and pull your hands down, sliding over the skin, all the way to your earlobe. The highly therapeutic and relaxing effects of the ear massage described above are widely acknowledged that modern massage therapists often include it as part of their massage services. . Although ear massage does stimulate the reflex points in the auricle and contributes to overall health, auriculotherapy is utilized more for the localized treatment of organs and bodily systems, and as a remedy for specific health problems. The most commonly reported uses of auriculotherapy have been for the control of chronic pain, detoxification from addictive drugs, relief of nausea, and reduction of hypertension. . Pain Relief Chronic pain is largely due to myofascial pain, related to the constriction of the connective tissue surrounding muscles in spasm. Muscles remain in spasm when there are motor neurons causing them to contract. When pathological brain reflex patterns keep spinal reflex re-initiating the activation of the motor neurons, pain persists. By stimulating ear reflex points, the pathological brain patterns can be electrically reset to stop the unwanted activation of spinal reflexes. Pain sensations that are due to irritated nerves can thus be relieved. Auriculotherapy has also been shown to induce the body's production of natural pain-relieving biochemicals known as endorphins and enkephalins. When higher levels of these biochemicals are introduced in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, the body fights pain spontaneously -- without the use of drug-based painkillers. . Endorphins and enkephalins have an analgesic effect, and are known to be just as effective as morphine in stopping pain. Since both biochemicals are produced by our bodies, they are the healthiest pain relief available with no side effects! For this reason, auriculotherapy has been used as a natural way to combat chronic pain and migraine headache. . Endorphins and enkephalins are the body's "feel good" substances that naturally improve our mood, increase pleasure and minimize pain. As such, they also help those struggling with cravings and substance withdrawal. Although there's an abundance of health practitioners who specialize in administering auriculotherapy these days via sonopuncture, laser, electro- acupuncture and piezo electric acupuncture stimulator, often the do-it-yourself acupressure approach works just as well. . If you have a tension headache, for instance, you can use your fingers to apply pressure on the Pain Control Point (Thalamus Point) for relief.