Auricular Therapy

Auricular therapy – widely known as ear acupuncture – treats through points on the outer ear. In Chinese medicine the ear has long been regarded as a region through which the whole body can be addressed. The point map in common use today was organised by the French physician Paul Nogier in 1957: he described the outer ear as the image of an upside-down child. On this map the earlobe stands for the head and face, the raised fold in the middle (the antihelix) for the spine, the groove above it for the arms and legs – and the hollow at the centre, the concha, for the internal organs.

The ear and the vagus nerve

Anatomically, the outer ear is unusual: it is the only place on the surface of the body where a branch of the tenth cranial nerve – the vagus nerve – reaches the skin. This ramus auricularis nervi vagi supplies above all the concha, as well as part of the external ear canal. Its fibres run to a nucleus in the brainstem (the nucleus tractus solitarii), a relay station of the autonomic nervous system. The vagus nerve itself is the largest nerve of the parasympathetic system – the part of the nervous system responsible for rest, digestion and recovery.

This connection is exactly why the ear region receives particular attention in research: review articles trace the mechanisms studied for auricular therapy back, among other things, to this link with the autonomic nervous system (Hou et al., Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015). That research is ongoing and not concluded, and no conclusion for an individual case follows from it. For treatment in my practice, the traditional application of Chinese medicine applies.

What to expect

During the session I place very fine, short needles at selected points; they stay in for about 20 to 30 minutes. Placing them is usually barely noticeable, though some points respond a little more distinctly for a moment.

To finish, I often add mini needles or ear seeds: tiny press needles or a seed on a small skin-coloured plaster. These stay on the ear for 4 to 7 days, so the treatment continues between appointments and you can press the points yourself a few times a day – I will show you how. Ear seeds involve no needle at all, are not painful, and are therefore well suited to children.

Showering and washing your hair are no problem with the plasters on. If one comes off early, there is no need to worry – just mention it at your next appointment.

When not to use it. Not on inflamed or injured skin on the ear, not after recent ear surgery, and not on the affected side in the case of lymphoedema. If a spot turns red, feels sore or itches, please take the plaster off and let me know. Before an MRI scan, please remove all mini needles and magnetic beads. During pregnancy and if you take blood-thinning medication, please speak to me beforehand.

In TCM, auricular therapy is traditionally used in a complementary way – it does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment.