What Is Auriculotherapy? What Are Its Benefits?

Auriculotherapy is also known as ear acupuncture and is an alternative therapy based on the understanding that the ear is a sort of micro system of the entire body and that the body’s ailments can be cured by specific manipulation of the ear.

While the roots of Auriculotherapy are to be found in the ancient Chinese art of acupuncture, it was a French neurologist called Paul Nogier who developed this system of healing in the 1950’s and it is considered to be an offshoot of Phrenology.

AuriculotherapyMany ancient civilizations have the belief that the ears are connected with other body systems and that their stimulation or piercing can benefit health.

For instance many communities in India routinely pierce the earlobes of male and female babies soon after birth because this is thought to be beneficial for health and this is so even today.

Some experts also claim that there are references to the use of ear stimulation for medical reasons even in ancient texts from Rome, Egypt and Greece.

While Auriculotherapy is like acupuncture in some ways it is different in others.

In Auriculotherapy, the auricle or the other ear is treated with acupuncture needles or with electrical stimulation of the out ear’s reflex points or even other forms of stimulation such as ear pellets, magnets, lasers and so on.

Auriculotherapy is considered by practitioners to be a complete organization of ear reflex points that are stimulated to alleviate a number of different body ailments.

Though there is dispute about its efficacy from those belonging to the scientific community, there is some evidence to show that people derive benefit from Auriculotherapy, in much the same way as Biofeedback, Reflexology, Acupressure, chiropractic manipulation and so on.

The conditions that Auriculotherapy is most commonly used for treating are –

  • Some types of chronic pain can help to be alleviated by reliving constriction in the tissues around muscles in spasm.
  • Controlling and lowering blood pressure is one of the benefits.
  • Nausea relief can also be obtained.
  • This treatment can also be used as part of a detox or rehabilitation process for those who are recovering from substance abuse.
  • Depression or mood disturbances can be resolved to an extent with Auriculotherapy.
  • Sciatic pain may also find relief with the help of this alternative therapy.
  • Tinnitus can also be relived with the help of Auriculotherapy.
  • Many other applications of this therapy exist and it may be used for a number of other ailments as well.