Review of Ear Acupuncture: Auriculotherapy

Ear acupuncture, also known as auriculotherapy, is acupuncture that uses acupoints on the ear.

Auriculotherapists believe if they stimulate the many blood vessels and nerve endings in the ear it will influence the organs of the body.

Some of the old texts for Chinese medicine mention the use of acupoints in the ear for some problems. For instance, silver or gold earrings were used to cure eye problems. Hippocrates thought there was a point on the ear that if operated on would work as a birth control method for men. In the middle ages, doctors would operate on a certain part of the ear to cure sciatica (nerve pain in hips and thighs).

In the 1950s a Frenchman, Paul Nogier, began experimenting with auriculotherapy. Nogier proposed the ear has the shape of an upside down fetus, with the earlobe being the head. He then proceeded to map out the points on the ear that corresponded to organs in the body. He thought if these points on the ear were stimulated, the corresponding organ would also be stimulated.

Nogier also thought that diagnosis of different illnesses could be made by measuring electrical impulses on the skin of the ear. Scientific experiments in the United States and China have had results supporting Nogier's theories.

Auriculotherapy is used mostly to cure addictions: drug, tobacco, alcohol, and overeating. It can also be used as an anesthesia during surgery.

During your first visit to the auriculotherapist, he will thoroughly examine your ears, checking for sore spots or irregularities. The number of needles used, how far they are inserted, and how long the needles stay in, all depend on the illness you are being treated for.

If you are being treated for an addiction, the auriculotherapist may use permanent press needles. This involves using tape to press small tack shaped needles to your ear. The needles may stay in your ear for several days or weeks.

To treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease, the auriculotherapist may use a technique called bleeding. Don't worry; this has nothing to do with putting leeches on your body like they did in the old days. In this type of bleeding the auriculotherapist will take only a few drops of blood from certain parts of the ear.

As expected, the first visit to the auriculotherpist is the most expensive, ranging from $80 to $200, with follow up visits in the $50 to $100 range. Check your health insurance policy to see if you are covered. Many people are covered if auriculotherapy is being used to cure an addiction.

Auriculotherapy shouldn't be performed on pregnant women, patients who are anemic, have drunk alcohol, are very hungry, or have just eaten a big meal. It should also not be done on children under the age of seven or on the elderly.

During auriculotherapy, you may possible have hot flashes, or an increased pulse rate. These are normal reactions and will not last long.

Fainting, dizziness, nausea, numbness, headaches, sweating, and sharp pains throughout the body occurring during or just after treatment cold be due to you feeling nervous or because the needles were not inserted correctly. The needles could have been placed too deep or in the wrong spot. If the aforementioned side effects are due to the needles, removal of the needles will make the side effects go away.

Studies have shown ear acupuncture does work for addictions. If you have an addiction you can't kick, think about consulting an acupuncturist. It may be answer you're looking for.