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Musculoskeletal Problems

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Internal Disorders

Auriculotherapy is safe, effective micro-current stimulation of nerve endings on the outer ears to help balance and/or normalise a range of physiological and psychological functions.

In 1990, the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) proclaimed to an international gathering that – “Auricular acupuncture is probably the most developed and best documented, scientifically, of all the micro-systems of acupuncture and is the most practical and widely used.”

Auriculotherapy is a therapy in which gentle electrical stimulation of the external ear is used to alleviate health conditions in other parts of the body.

While originally based upon ancient Chinese Ear Acupuncture, the mapping of specific parts of the body to specific parts of the ear was first developed in modern France.

In 1957, Dr Paul Nogier, a physician from Lyon, France, observed the occurrence of scars on the ear of patients who had been treated successfully for sciatica pain by lay practitioners. Dr Nogier’s subsequent research lead to the “somatotopic” map of the ear, based upon the concept of an inverted “fetus” (upside-down baby) orientation.

Research studies in China and the USA verified the scientific accuracy of auricular diagnosis. In

China the ear points of over 2,000 patients were assessed recording which points correlated with certain diseases and which ear points lead to reduction of medical symptoms. At UCLA 75% accuracy was achieved in correctly diagnosing the location of the musculoskeletal pain problems of 40 patients.

Expert panels were formed by the World Health Organization leading to international standardization of identification of ear reflex points.

Left: Dr Jay Holder performing Auriculotherapy treatment with a StimPlusPro micro-current stimulator. Nick and Gill have both received post-graduate training in Auriculotherapy from Dr Holder.

Auriculotherapy is often confused with ear acupuncture but it uses no needles, and instead of “meridians” uses nerve connections. A micro-current stimulator is placed on reflex points on the outside of the ear. These points then send a message to the brain based on the location of the reflex point being treated. Most people feel only a tiny tingling at the ear reflex points during treatment.

Imagine your brain as a computer. Inside this computer is a “map” of the entire body. This map is projected onto the ear through the body’s nervous system. Accessing the points on the map is like using a computer’s keyboard or mouse to gain entrance into the system. With this system we are able to directly treat a number of problems & conditions through the “brain’s computer”.

There are no “meridians” that cross the ear, but a rich network of nerve endings which travel from the skin of the ear, through cranial and cervical nerve roots, back into the brain. The ear to brain connection is the shortest and most direct of any of the body’s neurological “micro-systems” (a small representation of the whole body’s anatomy). The map of the body on the ear is called a “homunculus”.

Auriculotherapy is the only direct micro-system that can be used for diagnosis and treatment. Iridology is the only other direct micro-system, but this can only be used for diagnosis. All other Microsystems such as foot reflexology and Acupuncture are indirect.

An Auriculotherapy treatment can take 10–20 minutes. You will be lying on your side or back with a comfortable pillow to support your neck. The practitioner will be running a small battery-powered micro-current device around your ear. You will hear a quiet, high-pitch noise coming from the Stimplus. When the practitioner treats an active reflex point that he/she has located, you may feel a sensation of a pulse or a pin-prick: This sensation will only last 30–60 seconds for each point treated.

Micro-current is used in preference to needles, acupressure, laser and other forms of current (e.g. TENS), as this best matches the natural frequencies of the nerves being treated. Hence Micro-current is attempting to normalize abnormal nerve activities. The advanced design of the instrument we utilize has the additional advantage of being able to locate the active reflex points, as well as treat.

There are no known contraindications or dangers of Auriculotherapy. (For ultra-safety we do not recommend this treatment if you have a pacemaker or are in the first trimester of pregnancy.)

The number and regularity of Auriculotherapy sessions will depend on the severity and complexity of the health problems being treated and the severity and number of active reflex points located upon examination.

Auriculotherapy can be used as a “stand-alone” treatment, but we have also found it extremely effective and complementary when combined with the modern Chiropractic techniques utilized in our practice.