AURICULAR ACUPUNCTURE

In Chinese medicine, the ear is a microsystem for the rest of the body. The theory is similar to reflexology of the hand or foot, or iridology. The entire anatomical body is manifest in the ear. The ear is compared to an upside-down fetus, with the head on the lower ear lobe, the feet at the top of the ear, and the rest of the body in-between. There are up to 200 acupuncture points on the outer ear, each point named after an anatomic area or body part, such as lung, heart, knee and mouth.

Needles placed in the ear stimulate the corresponding body part and affect the sympathetic nervous system. Mentally and emotionally, ear acupuncture promotes feeling calm, clear and alert.

Your practitioner may send you home with ear seeds. These are small black Vaccaria seeds secured to the outer ear by a piece of tape. They are like “time-release acupuncture” and provide continued stimulation for 4-7 days after your treatment. Pressing or massaging the ear seeds will activate them and provide a therapeutic effect.