Auricular Acupuncture is a Microsystem of Acupuncture that reflects the entire body on the ear.
Tiny needles are placed into acupuncture points on the outer ear exerting a gentle stimulation that creates a response in a particular part of the body to promote natural self-healing.
Auricular Acupuncture is unique because it can be used independently or as an adjunct to other therapies. It is possible to learn the basics in a short amount of time in contrast to body acupuncture which requires several years of intense study and practice. Furthermore, it is a more economical and convenient system of treatment primarily because the ears are easily accessible and people do not need to remove any clothing to receive treatment.
Auricular Acupuncture is easy to master and quick to administer. People usually sit in a chair to receive treatment and so the practitioner only needs a small area in which to work. Auricular acupuncture is most effective and beneficial when it is administered regularly, usually once or twice a week.
What are the benefits?
- Improved sense of wellbeing
- Easy to administerÂ
- Deeper relaxation
- Improve collaborationÂ
- Reduce physical painÂ
- Support mental health conditions
- Ease symptoms of cancer treatment
- Improved connection to self
How it works
There are over 200 acupuncture points on each ear. If you download your chart you will see that points relating to our head, teeth and face are located on the ear lobe. Our internal organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, stomach and intestines are positioned in the deep ‘well’ or inferior conchae region of the ear. We have a semi-circular vertical ridge around the conchae that represents our spinal column. Taking this into consideration Auricular Acupuncture has evolved as a complete microsystem for the treatment of many complaints and diseases. The American military have invested a considerable sum in research and developed Battlefield Acupuncture.
To understand how Auricular Acupuncture works from a Western viewpoint, we have to imagine the outer ear like a switchboard to the brain. Each acupuncture point being treated triggers impulses from the ear via the brain and neural pathways to the specific part of the body being treated. The stimulus from auricular acupuncture raises vagal tone and regulates the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems. Functional MRI (fMRI) shows that Auricular Acupuncture triggers an effect in areas of the brain specific to the corresponding zone on the ear. Each point treated releases endorphins, blocks pain receptors, and elevates levels of adenosine that affect a change in the targeted anatomical area.
We produce endorphins naturally when we carry out physical exercise and the effects of the exercise make us ‘feel good’. Auricular Acupuncture has been found to stimulate higher levels of endorphins, which help alleviate both mental and physical pain.
Auricular Acupuncture is a comprehensive treatment. It offers more than pain relief. It also treats menstrual disorders, digestive problems, sciatica and high blood pressure and is used effectively in cancer support. Auricular Acupuncture can be administered easily, quickly and economically, and is effective for most chronic complaints.
Why train with us?
5 advantages of studying with the College of Auricular Acupuncture
- Shorter than a degree
- Cost effectiveÂ
- No rigid prerequisites
- Focus on exact skill set required
- Easily integrates into Complementary Healthcare Practices
Auricular Acupuncture is one of the most developed and best documented scientifically of all the Microsystems of acupuncture and is the most practical and widely used.
Auricular Acupuncture has a history dating back over 3000 years. It is mentioned in the ‘The Yellow Emperors Classic of Internal Medicine’ a Chinese medical classic from 500 BCE showing that the ear is connected to all organs of the body and corresponding meridians of classical acupuncture. Historically pirates wore a gold earring, not just to decorate their ears, but also because the point pierced was thought to improve eyesight.
Medical records from Ancient Greece and Rome show treatment in the ear for reproductive disorders, while medical texts in Ancient Persia record treatment of sciatic pain by cauterization on the ear. However it was Dr. Paul Nogier, a physician from Lyon, France who introduced Modern Auriculotherapy to the world and is recognized by the Chinese as being the ‘Father of Auricular Acupuncture’.
Nogier was the first to create a systemised anatomical correspondence between the ear and the body. He found that the ear had 3 types of tissue from each of the primary tissues developed in the uterus; ectodermal, mesodermal and endodermal tissue which make up all the body systems. He found that each type of embryological tissue accounts for the different somatotopic functions related to the different areas of our auricular anatomy. In addition there are three principal nerves that innervate the ear and have a similar somatotopic function on the ear as they do with the rest of the physical body they innervate.
Nogier’s development was made through clinical trials based on mapping brain areas with these physiological links to the human embryo for reference of complaints and points for treatment. More than 200 hundred points were discovered on the ear.
In the late 1950’s Nogier’s work was brought to the attention of The Nanking Army Ear Acupuncture Research Team in China. They treated over 2000 patients using Nogier’s research and recorded the clinical efficacy of ear acupuncture.
In 1990 the World Health Organisation (WHO) collaborated with doctors from Asia, Europe and America to finalise the standardisation of auricular anatomical names, points and locations as it is widely practiced today. The WHO lists many conditions for which Auricular Acupuncture is appropriate. The Director General of the World Health Organisation at the time proclaimed that 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.
Today Auricular Acupuncture is administered in prisons, hospitals, substance misuse agencies and healthcare professional clinics all over the world. It has become increasingly chosen as a safe mode of treatment for many conditions including musculoskeletal pain, migraine, allergies.