About Auricular Therapy

Auricular Therapy is a system of treatment that stimulates the external surface of the ear with needles, beads or electrotherapy as a means of treating body and mind.

Like most needling treatments it dates back to ancient China, with examples documented from 200BC. The system I use is a combination of Chinese techniques and the Western system based on the work of of Dr Paul Nogier in France in the 1950s. Dr Nogier noticed his patients with low back pain all had similar tiny scars on their ears in the same spot and discovered they had been treated by a local healer who had learned the technique from her father, who in turn had learned it from a Chinese practitioner. Dr Nogier began to study links between the external ear, body and brain and produced the first ear point charts which are now used worldwide. With the evolution of needling techniques and disposable needles, as well as ear beads (tiny metal spheres attached to the ear with an adhesive patch) and electrotherapy devices modern Auricular Therapists can draw on a range of techniques to suit all patients.

Over the following 75 years Auricular Therapy is used worldwide to treat a wide range of conditions, both physical and mental. N.A.D.A. therapy is used worldwide to help patients with addiction and substance abuse problems, Battlefield Acupuncture is used by the U.S. Armed Forces for emergency drug-free pain relief and Auricular Therapy is proving useful in treating the symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, ‘burnout’ and stress for a lot of patients.

All that said, like most treatments it isn’t magic, a replacement for all medicine or a cure for all ills and I am happy to work alongside more conventional treatments and medications to get the best result for the patient and their problems. Some respond very strongly to auricular therapy, others less so and some very little or not at all. If that’s the case for you rest assured I won’t keep you coming back or string you along. The good news is that treatment is low impact (the needles are very small and there are other ways to treat for those who don’t like needles), safe (I am trained in safe needle handling and experienced in patient care), non-verbal (you can discuss your problems in detail but you don’t have to) and if you don’t find it helpful the worst consequence is some tiny holes in the ear that are healed by the next day. If you have any questions, concerns or want to know more please get in touch for an obligation free chat.