Auricular Therapy

What is Ear Acupressure or Auricular Therapy?

The art of healing with finger pressure on specific points on the ear is known as Ear Acupressure or Auricular Therapy. In 1957, Dr. Paul Nogier, a well known French Neuro-surgeon, made a careful study of the ear and its relationship to the rest of the body and developed this “Auricular Therapy”.

How the ear acupressure points are stimulated?

Finger pressure is the safest way for stimulation and most economical also. A blunt end of a pencil tip or cotton bud or a match stick can be used.

How to apply finger pressure?

The person should be relaxed and comfortable, in any posture whether lying down, standing or sitting up. The degree of pressure, heat or coolness, sensation in the point being massaged varies with the condition and physique of the person. If the correct pressure is applied, the person should feel numbness or soreness in the affected part. Finger-nail, finger-tip and finger-flat are the three ways of applying pressure. Apply pressure for one to five minutes on each point per treatment. Stimulate once or twice daily or whenever one has the symptoms and also when one feels the onset of symptoms.

How to locate the ear acupressure point?

Imagine a fully grown-up foetus inside the mother’s womb. The whole body is represented by the ear in as much the same way as the foetus fits (Fig. 17b). Different parts of the body can be activated by pulsating the corresponding points on the ear. The ear acupressure chart provides a ready-reference for this purpose.

Exact locations differ from person to person and may change under varying conditions. The colour of the skin at that point may be different or there may be slight swelling, peeling or a small sore and the point may have become very sensitive to pressure with respect to adjacent areas. The sensitivity can be detected by gently touching the ear surface with constant and persistent pressure. A blunt edge can be used for pulsating. It is important to apply constant, persistent pressure on all areas for detecting proper ear points. These points may show lower electrical resistance and slightly higher temperature when compared to other areas.

Ear Points

What are the precautions?

• Keep the hands, fingers and finger nails clean and warm. Finger nails should be trimmed properly to get a good grip. It is advisable to activate the right ear for right side problems and left for left side problems, though in principle it can work for the whole body.
• Acupressure is not to be done on full stomach or empty stomach.
• Not recommended for exhausted or nervous patients.
• Not recommended during pregnancy and on serious cardiac patients or infants.
• Avoid ear acupressure if one observes scar, contusion or infection in the ear.

How effective is Auricular Therapy?

Generally ear acupressure is very successful, but often slower compared to acupuncture. If one doesn’t get results, try corresponding points at the back of the ear or a combination of ear and body points.  

 
E-mail: info@acupressureclub.org