Also known as “auricular acupuncture” or “ear acupuncture,” auriculotherapy has been growing in popularity over the past 50 years as an effective but non-invasive natural therapy for both mental and physical conditions.
The idea is that the external part of the human ear called the auricle holds a map that connects to the rest of the body. On these various map points, pressure is used to offer relief from emotional stress, boost your libido, lose weight, cure insomnia, and alleviate chronic pain.
Can pain be truly relieved by merely touching the ear?
The answer was found in 1980, when a clinical study was conducted at the UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology Pain Management Center to ascertain whether Auriculotherapy ought to be considered “real medicine”.
More than 40 patients diagnosed with chronic muscle pain by physicians who specialized in pain management participated in the study. These patients were treated with standard medical procedure and conventional modes of treatment. An auriculotherapy physician who was not informed of the patients’ medical history gave a second diagnoses on those subjects.
The diagnoses of the auriculotherapy physician jibed with the diagnosis made with conventional medicine with greater than 75 percent accuracy. This persuaded researchers to conclude that auriculotherapy was indeed a bona fide medicine. On the auricle, there really is a “map” of the human body.
Applying pressure to specific points on your auricle or outer ear that are associated with the pain you feel in your body causes signals to be sent to your brain. The brain releases biochemical pain-killers in your bloodstream flooding your body helping relieve the pain naturally. Auriculotherapy naturally and instantly halts the pain.
So how does auriculotherapy in Bellingham work?
Using Auriculotherapy to Relieve Stress
In our hectic modern way of living, stress has become a common but major issue we all have to deal with. Because stress is so prevalent, one begins to accept it, even expect it.
In our day-to-day life, we cannot afford to become unconcerned about stress. It can potentially lead to a number of health problems many of them quite serious. Research has shown that stress is one of the underlying causes of sleep problems, a weak immune system, heart disease, inflammation, and even cancer.
To relieve stress, pain and tension, you need to apply pressure on the Shen Men acupoint for 30 to 60 seconds. This will help regulate the stress hormones, enabling you to experience better quality and deeper sleep.
All these may sound nonsensical, but the human body is one of the most complex organisms on the planet and it has the ability to heal itself.
Actually, healing itself is what the body does all the time. When pain or chronic illness affect your hormone levels and weaken your immune system, this natural self-healing ability is disrupted.
Using Auriculotherapy to Control Appetite
In the United States, obesity is a major problem and according to the Surgeon General, there are about 65 percent of Americans who are deemed overweight. Obesity is suspected to be the underlying cause of a lot of illnesses, including heart disease and diabetes, which every year, cost our healthcare system trillions of dollars.
To treat obesity, apply pressure for 30 to 60 seconds to an area on your auricle known as the Hunger Point to stimulate weight loss and reduce your appetite. Pressing this part of your auricle releases “feel good” hormones called endorphins into your system, speed up the “full” response of your brain, and controls appetite.
You can pinch the Hunger Point from either side with both fingers or press it with one finger since this point is located on the outer perimeter of your ear.
Because overeating is usually related to mood swings and depression, raising positive hormones can help control your appetite both physically and mentally.
Exercise and nutrition are still very important but mood and appetite will make your efforts more fruitful, increasing your chances to lose weight successfully.
Auriculotherapy can be considered as a “reset” button that your body can use to promote healing.
Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognize and approve the use of Auriculotherapy. It has shown to be an effective and valid at-home remedy for various health problems.
Auriculotherapy can be used for:
• Sciatica and back pain – including radiating pain to legs or arms, neck pain, and headache
• Chronic pain in joints and muscles
• Weight loss – Research shows that you can reduce an average of one to two pounds each week just by using acupressure on the Hunger Point of your auricle.
• Allergy symptoms and causes
• Alleviating anxiety and stress
• Nausea and gastro-intestinal conditions
• Increase your immune response against infection
• Insomnia – An auriculotherapy study involving 46 cases of insomnia showed that over 32 of the 46 cases were cured and were able to sleep over seven hours.
• Several other health problems and illnesses
Using just your fingers, a matchstick, or any narrow tipped object, you can easily learn to treat yourself at home. This natural health therapy is truly that simple to administer.
Stop procrastinating. Each day you spend suffering from a condition or in pain that could be alleviated with natural and safe Auriculotherapy is another day wasted. This treatment does not have any risks and no side effects. What do you have to lose?