Auricular Acupuncture

The human ear is fully developed at birth and has been described as a primary organ for multiple physical, emotional and neurological development responses.  The ear also represents a micro-system of the whole human system and is a powerful method of treating health conditions through the use of Auricular Acupuncture.

Auricular Acupuncture is the stimulation of acupuncture points on the external ear surface which map to different areas of the body. In the 1940′s, Canadian neuroscientist Dr. Wilder Penfield, found that the brain holds a discernable map of the human body. Stimulation of a brain area could be felt by the patient in the corresponding region of the body. The ear holds the most dense and specific reflection of that brain map, providing a trained practitioner with an accessible, safe and detailed gateway for both assessment and treatment of most health conditions.

The earliest use of ear acupuncture, like traditional acupuncture, is thousands of years old.  Auricular Acupuncture as we know it today is largely the result of the discoveries and work of Dr. Paul Nogier, a medical doctor in France who taught neurology and had also trained in Oriental acupuncture.  Discovering that stimulation of the ear acupuncture points were highly effective in alleviating pain and other symptoms in other parts of the body, Dr. Nogier spent decades pursuing empirical research including the connection between Auricular Acupuncture and Western science.

Research continues today showing the effectiveness of Auricular Acupuncture in the following areas, including but not limited to, pain related to cancer, anxiety, weight loss, chemical and/or substance dependency problems and post-traumatic stress disorder.  In a November 15, 2003 Journal of Clinical Oncology article by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Analgesic Effect of Auricular Acupuncture for Cancer – A Randomized, Blinded, Controlled Trial, the objective was to identify if auricular acupuncture would reduce pain in cancer patients as compared to placebo.

“Pain intensity decreased by 36% at 2 months from baseline in the group receiving acupuncture; there was little change for patients receiving placebo (2%). The difference between groups was statistically significant.  The observed reduction in pain intensity measured on the visual analog score (VAS) represents a clear benefit from auricular acupuncture for these cancer patients who are in pain, despite stable analgesic treatment.”

Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 21, No 22 (November 15), 2003: pp 4120-4126; Vital Principle Institute (VPI)