Auriculotherapy
Of several remedies, the physician should choose the least sensational. – Hippocrates
Acupuncture has been a popular alternative medicine for thousands of years in Asia, but in the middle of last century a French doctor introduced the East and West to auriculotherapy, or ear acupuncture, and it has been gaining followers ever since.
Even as the practice has spread rapidly across the globe, general consensus is that auriculotherapy works – Western physicians simply have yet to ascertain how. Similar to traditional acupuncture and reflexology, auriculotherapy is a form of alternative medicine based on the idea that the ear is a microsystem reflecting the entire body. The auricle is the exposed outer part of the ear in which tiny steel pins are placed to stimulate corresponding parts of the body and mind.
Who can auriculotherapy help? Conditions that negatively affect your physical, mental and emotional health are treatable by stimulation of the surface of the ear exclusively.
History
Although acupuncture originated in the West, a French neurologist was the first to develop auriculotherapy. Soon after, members of the Chinese Army picked up his ear map and brought it back their doctors at home. They subsequently developed an ear map according to the theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Our resident TCM specialist and auriculotherapy expert, Francois is always on hand to conduct individual health analyses and provide subsequent auriculotherapy treatments. Please contact us for appointments and additional information.
Scientific Support
The UCLA Pain Management Center department of anesthesiology UCLA School of Medicine conducted a research study that verified the scientific accuracy of ear diagnosis. There is a statistically significant level of 75% accuracy achieved in diagnosing musculoskeletal pain problems in pain patients.
What health problems can be affected by auriculotherapy?
Almost all health conditions can be affected to some degree. The most commonly reported uses of auriculotherapy have been for the control of chronic pain, detox from addictive drugs, relief of nausea, and reduction of hypertension. Auriculotherapy has also been cited as beneficial to osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, chemotherapy-induced nausea, and IVF.
How it works
First, the auricle will be disinfected and cleaned. Francois will then insert very thin, stainless steel needles in your outer ear. Once they’re in, you shouldn’t feel any discomfort. Some people even say auriculotherapy relaxes them.
The needles will stay in your ear for five to 20 minutes. While the needles are in your ear, Francois may twirl, heat, or stimulate them.
What to expect
The first session requires greater time for a Francois to do an intake evaluation and patient history, but a subsequent and typical auriculotherapy treatment lasts 15 to 30 minutes.
It is quite common for patients to notice a mild to marked reduction of their problem area during their very first session. There is no specific number of treatments for any health condition being treated, but it is common that the severity of most conditions are moderately reduced by four to six sessions and greatly alleviated by upwards of eight to twelve.
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