My love letter to auricular acupuncture
There are over 250 acupuncture points on the outer ear alone! These 250 points, which map to various part of the human body, internally and externally, can be used to treat anything from a bumped knee, to different types of headache, to relieve anxiety and what may be fueling it.
These ear points are not a continuation of the meridians in the body, and they affect our being a little differently than the body points.
For a start, they are incredibly effective in transforming pain and particularly, psychosomatic pain. They are really wonderful in gently quieting the conversations in the head so that we can come back to our body, our heart.
Ear acupuncture, just like body or meridian acupuncture, can help toggle our nervous response back to rest and digest, even if it’s only until the next crisis. A quieter, more relaxed mind can improve our sleep, our decision-making process, our self-talk, and also our interaction with others.
In my clinical experience, used on its own, ear acupuncture can effectively relieve pain for a day to a few days. When utilized as a supportive modality – that is, along with body acupuncture, and or herbal remedy under an appropriate treatment strategy, it can improve the treatment outcome and healing process by leaps and bounds.