Auricular Therapy
What problems is Auricular Therapy good for?
Auricular Therapy is good for acute painful problems alleviating pain almost immediately or within 24 to 48 hours. Auricle therapy is good for chronic degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic painful conditions like spinal stenosis and other chronic central nervous system conditions such as multiple sclerosis. Other conditions include diseases and dysfunctions of the gastrointestinal, genital urinary and cardiovascular systems. Auricular therapy should not take the place of acute orthodox medical care in life threatening situations.
What Is Auricular Therapy?
Auricular therapy is one of the most important components of traditional Chinese acupuncture. It is a specialized form where the auricle (ear) is used to stimulate various organs and meridians in the body. The ear represents a fetus in the womb but in an inverted position. It is a microcosm of the macrocosm: the ear represents the entire body.
How Does Auricular Therapy Work?
Based on extensive clinical research, there are three accepted theories which explain how auricular therapy works.
The Homuncular Reflex Theory (Anatomical Model) shows that the map of the location of auricular points is in the shape of an inverted fetus. Message transfer between auricular points and related body parts has been found to be bi-directional.The Delta Reflex Theory (Lock & Key) shows that stimulation of body parts causes a change in temperatre of the related auricular point, and vice versa. In short, the ‘key’ of auricular stimulation can open the ‘lock’ of somatic ‘body’ response in the corresponding body parts.
A deeper look at Meridian Theory shows that energy travels along a system of pathways, neither vessels nor nerves, and converges at the ear. This is one of the most important aspects of Chinese auricular therapy.
