Auriculotherapy

Auriculotherapy or auricular therapy commonly known as the ear acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine which is based on the principle or idea that the ear or the auricle represents the entire human body.

In other words the ear is a microsystem and by stimulating the surface of the ear, the entire body can be treated successfully.

History of auriculotherapy –

Dr.Paul Nogier in the 1950s noticed a healer in Lyon, France treating sciatica by cauterizing a part of the ear.

This motivated him to investigate the relationship between the human anatomy and locations on the ear.

According to Nogier, the ear was shaped like the inverted fetus. In other words, there is a certain somatotopic-presentation of the seeminly inverted foetus that lies in the ear. He also said specific areas in the ear correspond to various anatomic foetus regions.

Nogier also strongly believed that needling, electrically stimulating, massaging or cauterising a particular area in the ear will relieve pain in that corresponding anatomical area of the body.

Nogier named this process auriculotherapy and this has been used in combined therapies for substance abuse and also as a treatment for pain relief.