The word acupuncture, from Latin, is composed of acus (needle) and punctura, activity (-ura) of making punctures (punctus). As I'm sure you already know, it refers to an oriental medical treatment that consists of sticking needles in different parts of the body. To peer into its beginnings, we must travel through time almost 4000 years ago. There we will find the oldest records of Chinese ancestral acupuncture.

But, before we go on, we want to answer a question that you could be asking yourself right now. Why do we at Claso deal with this issue? Very simple. We care about people and that's why we want to share interesting topics for you and your hearing health; those issues that it is not necessary to know closely to have an opinion of their own. Acupuncture in the ear has recently aroused interest and, before making any decision, we want to tell you what it consists of in a simple, clear and honest way. Now, do we start?

We go back to the seventies, when acupuncture was installed in the West and began to consolidate as an excellent complementary therapy, thanks to its benefits to reduce the symptoms of some diseases. Dr. Paul Nogier or also called "the father of auriculotherapy", from France, was indispensable, because it contributed to its consolidation creating the first cartography of points of the auricular pavilion.

The essence of acupuncture can be summarized as follows: in the body there are a series of channels through which a vital energy called qi (or chi) travels. When it becomes unbalanced, disease occurs. The acupuncturist, therefore, tries to re-establish the flow of energy through the placement of needles in specific points of our body. If it focuses on the ear, we speak of auriculotherapy or acupuncture in the ear.

Much more than a cartilage structure

According to Chinese medicine, the ear is a map of our body that can tell us information about our state of health. You just have to understand their language. For this, there are up to 100 specific points through which symptoms such as stress, anxiety, insomnia, vertigo or lumbago can be alleviated, although it is also used for allergies, headaches or overweight problems.

Currently, the novelty is that acupuncture in the ear does not involve the use of needles. The most recent technique is carried out with a kind of magnetic, stainless steel and hypoallergenic bullets, combined with digital massages. The pathology of each patient is what determines the point of the ear where the needle or pellets will be placed.

As it is impossible to travel for each of the points, we highlight:

  • The kidney point, to reduce fear, anxiety, vertigo and insomnia.
  • The point of the liver, for cases of detoxification or reduction of intense anger.
  • The lung point, to get a deeper breath and release the pain.

Did you know that...?

Shen Men is a deep spot, according to the ancient Chinese, that strengthens the overall health of the body, decreases stress and increases the flow of energy.  This point in the ear also reduces inflammation and plays a fundamental role in cases of addition. A massage on it can soothe headaches, calm anxiety and get a more pleasant sleep.

When is acupuncture not recommended in the ear?

In patients with symptoms of weakness or severe symptoms of asthma or hypertension. Nor for pregnant women during the first two trimesters of pregnancy or for children under 7 years of age.

Thus, auriculotherapy stimulates reflex points in the ear, activates the nervous system and, through this pressure, a response is produced to restore balance and health.

With today's article, our challenge was the one we gave you at the beginning: to present you with an alternative therapy for the care of your health, not only hearing, without forgetting that the most important thing is to put yourself in the hands of experts. It is never too late to discover a little (more) about ear acupuncture.