Although auricular medicine originally focused on withdrawing addicts from narcotic drugs, alcohol and nicotine, it is now used for treatment in an array of more than 300 disorders, including: anxiety, insomnia, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, psychological and compulsive disorders, irritability, ADD/ADHD, asthma, allergies, menstrual cramps, high blood pressure, TMJ, decreased libido, eczema, depression, irritable bowel syndrome and many more.

Rooted in the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture, auricular medicine was developed in the 1950s by Dr. Paul Nogier, a physician from Lyon, France. Nogier observed that many of his Middle Eastern patients had been successfully treated for sciatica pain through the cauterization of a certain area of their ear. This finding prompted him to further study the connection between the ear and the body.

Although auricular medicine is often called “ear acupuncture”, the two procedures are drastically different. In acupuncture, small needles are inserted along different “meridians”, or energy channels, to relieve the symptoms of a particular health problem.

Auricular medicine doesn’t involve any needles. The points of treatment are diagnosed using the perspective of the ear, because it is a localized reflex system connected to the central nervous system. Auricular medicine facilitates the natural, self-regulating homeodynamic mechanisms of the body by diminishing overactive bodily functions or increasing underactive physiological processes.

A trained auricular medicine practitioner will use a tool called the StimPlus Pro to locate, assess and deliver specific micro currents to certain points on the skin of the auricle (external ear). This treatment is safe and non-invasive; the only side effects are possible tenderness of the ear and, due to the release of endorphins during the treatment, possible short-term drowsiness.

During a typical appointment, the patient will lie on an examination table while the technician scans specific points with the StimPlus Pro to determine if they are “electrically active”, meaning the tissue has a frequency different than its appropriate tone. A healthy nerve tissue will not be electrically active. After the points are located, treatment follows through the electrical stimulation of a microcurrent for up to one minute. This stabilizes the abnormal nerve activity and initiates a reflex to the brain to expedite healing.

Dr. Brit Reed is the owner and director of Bellows Health Systems and The (In) Fertility Center, located at 107 N. Main St., in Mansfield. For more information, call 607-742-8707 or visit In-FertilityCenter.org and BellowsHealth.org. November 2017