A uriculotherapy, or ear acutherapy, was introduced to the UK in 1988 at the Gateway Clinic at Lambeth Hospital and was used widely across drug and alcohol services, including prisons, for more than two decades. In recent years, however, its use has declined. This is due to the difficulty practitioners face in presenting clinical evidence to funders, as well as restrictive local authority byelaws designed to regulate body acupuncture. Prick Up Your Ears( PUYE), a new Community Interest Company( CIC) in the West Midlands, has set out to expand the use of acutherapy in treatment services and make it more widely available for the general public in community settings. This year we’ ve given over 350 free ear seeding treatments at local community events and at recovery events – including the DDN conference, Recoverfest, and the UK Recovery Walk – where few people had even been aware of acutherapy, and those who were often remarked that it was something they’ d had years ago in services but was no longer available. So what is auricular
|
acutherapy? The modern mapping of the auricle( the outer ear) was pioneered by Dr Paul Nogier in France during the 1950s. Nogier observed that patients with scars on their ears from cauterisation had experienced relief from sciatica. His findings, published in 1957, mapped the ear as a microsystem of the body.
Auriculotherapy works by stimulating specific points on the ear using acupuncture needles or acupressure seeds, with more than 250 points identified by Chinese and Western systems. These points connect to major nerves that run through the ear, including the vagus nerve, which links the brain and the parasympathetic nervous system.
CLEARER THINKING Auriculotherapy doesn’ t directly cure conditions, instead activating the body’ s natural healing mechanisms. Patients worldwide use it to support mental and physical wellbeing – benefits include reduced anxiety, improved mood, clearer thinking, and better sleep. Research also indicates that chronic pain can be reduced by 20 – 30 per cent with regular treatment.
|
In recent decades, its use has expanded beyond addiction services. Auriculotherapy is now used in NHS mental health services, women’ s health programmes, and oncology, helping with menstrual issues, menopause symptoms, and psychological challenges. For cancer survivors, treatment eases anxiety, fatigue, swelling, and hot flushes in a non-toxic way. Physiologically, auriculotherapy has been shown to release endorphins, regulate hormones, lower cortisol levels, and strengthen the immune system.
In the 1970s Dr Michael Smith at the Lincoln Clinic in the Bronx, New York developed the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association( NADA) protocol. This fivepoint system is central to auriculotherapy, particularly in addiction treatment.
The NADA protocol was designed to help individuals experiencing withdrawal, cravings, and sleep disturbances. The first point, the‘ Shenmen’ or‘ spirit gate’, calms the mind and spirit, relieving stress, tension, and anxiety, clearing‘ brain fog’, aiding emotional regulation, and enabling relaxation; the‘ sympathetic’ point balances
|
Auriculotherapy doesn’ t directly cure conditions, instead activating the body’ s natural healing mechanisms. Benefits include reduced anxiety, improved mood, clearer thinking, and better sleep. Research also indicates that chronic pain can be reduced by 20- 30 per cent with regular treatment.
sympathetic nervous system arousal with parasympathetic sedation, it promotes rest and digestion, has a strong pain
|
JellyPics |