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Ear acupuncture on the ear

More and more users of naturopathy offer the uncomplicated and effective ear acupuncture in their practice. The ear is regarded as a microsystem on which the human body with its organs is reproduced once again (homunculus).

With needles, certain points on this image are stung in the ear to eliminate organic, functional and mental disorders. Ear acupuncture is used, for example, in acute and chronic pain, anxiety and inner restlessness, menstrual disorders and the desire to have children. But best known is this form of acupuncture for weight loss and smoking cessation. For doctors, ear acupuncture is not least popular because it can be combined with many other natural remedies.

Ear acupuncture:
Styles of ear acupuncture
The Chinese and French schools
How does an ear acupuncture treatment work??
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Styles of ear acupuncture

While ear acupuncture has been part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture for thousands of years, auricular therapy is provided by the French doctor. Nogier was developed as an independent therapy system only in the second half of the 20th century. Both forms of ear acupuncture complement each other optimally, even if fundamentals and doctrines differ. A networking of the two styles can be found in the Vienna School. Even in the alternative medical schools in Germany, a combination of the two directions is often taught in order to exploit the entire range of effects. In addition to the mentioned styles, the Russian ear acupuncture is now also read, but so far plays a minor role in Germany.

The Chinese and French schools

According to the Chinese view, it is meridians that are stimulated and deblocked by the needles. Meridians are energy channels that run in the human body and that could not yet be detected according to the criteria of our Western academic studies. On the other hand, the French school sees ear acupuncture as reflex zone therapy, whereby the set stimuli are supposed to pass through nerve tracts. The good efficacy in pain is explained by e.g. from the small distance of ear and pain centers of the brain. The advantages of the French style lie in a number of psychologically effective points, which are largely missing in the Chinese system. On the other hand, the Chinese ear acupuncture is considered simple and extremely effective for the treatment of v.a. organic disorders.

How does an ear acupuncture treatment work??

Conversation and diagnosis: As a rule, the treatment starts with a discussion about the current symptoms but also all previous illnesses (medical history). In order to achieve the greatest effect with the ear acupuncture, the ear of the dominant side is treated. That is, right-handed people get the needles in the right ear, while left-handed is treated on the left.

The therapist first examines the patient's ear with the eye to detect changes in the skin, e.g. in the form of discoloration, dryness or jammed capillaries. These signs help to optimize diagnosis and treatment.

With a so-called push button then eligible acupuncture points are pressed and the most sensitive to pain of them „needled“. In order to minimize the pain during testing, electronic devices are becoming more and more frequently used to indicate the points requiring treatment by means of acoustic or visual signals.

Treatment with needles, seeds or magnets: It is stung with the longer acute needles or with permanent needles, which are stuck with patches to the ear. Alternatively, mugwort seeds, magnets, glowing moxa sticks or soft laser devices are used. Which type of application is optimal and whether needles golden, silver or steel needles are most effective, the therapist decides after the symptoms and the asked naturopathic diagnosis. After setting the needles, which is more or less painful, a rest period of about 15-30 minutes should take place during which the person being treated can track down his sensations in the body. (Dipl.Päd. Jeanette Viñals Stein, non-medical practitioner)