There are many different styles and approaches within the field of acupuncture. Ear acupuncture, or auriculotherapy, is one such system, often called a microsystem. The entire body can be mapped out on the ear, and so theoretically anything can be treated through the ear, such as pain, emotional issues, digestion, headaches, etc. If you have heard of foot reflexology, then this is the same idea – the whole body is “mapped” out on the foot, and so you treat the whole body through the foot using that approach. Ear acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine, but it also evolved over time, particularly in Europe since the 1980s through the efforts of Dr. Nogier.
At Perfect Point Acupuncture, we trained using the NADA Acudetox method. This simple 3-5 point needle system (in each ear, so 6-10 points in all) was developed in the 1970s as part of a drug treatment program in a low-income area of New York City. Over the decades it has been in use, it is common to use it for many different conditions, particularly stress and pain. It continues to be used in drug treatment programs, and internationally, in efforts to help people dealing with major emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina through Acupuncture Without Borders.
As part of our training at the Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine, we became certified AcuDetox Specialists and did our externship at the Evergreeen Treatment Center.
It is fairly common for us to incorporate the NADA ear protocol in our treatments. Most people find that it is helpful to reduce stress, inflammation, and help with mood and pain. Sometimes, we will recommend placing small stickers with “seeds” in them, which further stimulate the area after the treatment is over.
