Auricular Therapy for Weight Loss

What is Auricular Therapy?

Auricular Therapy, also known as Ear Reflexology, is a special way of stimulating acupoints in the ear as a way to treat symptoms of imbalance.  The method of treating acupoints in the ear has been practiced in Oriental medicine for at least 2,000 years.  This can either be done with small acupuncture needles, or as a non-needle technique that uses massage and small gold or silver beads, or seeds, attached to tape and pressed into acupoints on the ear at precise locations.  

The needles and beads or seeds stimulate the Qi and Blood of the related area, function, or internal organ of the body.  This treatment is commonly used by acupuncturists, and because it does not actually break the skin may also be used by bodyworkers and herbalists trained in Oriental medicine.  (All of the professional massage therapists at The Oriental Healing Arts Center are trained in Oriental medicine.)

What can Auricular Therapy treat?

The ear, hands, feet, and back are places on the body that can each be used to treat the entire body.  Oriental medicine techniques are all used to re-balance the Yin and Yang energies of the whole mind-body-spirit, so from this point of view there is very little that could not be treated at least in part by Auricular Therapy.

In 1990, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed that Auricular therapy is “probably the most developed and best documented, scientifically, of all the ‘micro-systems’ of acupuncture and is the most practical and widely used.”   The WHO lists 150 conditions for which Auricular Therapy is appropriate, including headaches, migraines, nerve pain, facial paralysis, tennis elbow, high blood pressure, sciatica, low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, pain associated with cancer, menopause symptoms, allergies, addictions, depression, and more.

How will Auricular Therapy help me to lose weight?

By identifying the internal organs and functions that are out of balance now, Auricular Therapy is used to stimulate specific acupoints that will act to re-balance you.  This includes increasing the function of sluggish digestive organs, regulating your sense of hunger, regulating hormones and metabolism, and encouraging the body to release excess accumulations and waste efficiently.

What are the side effects of Auricular Therapy?

Used properly, there are no known adverse side effects of this treatment.  It is natural, generally painless, and highly effective.

Is Auricular Therapy done by itself, or do I need to do anything else too?

Our culture is very used to the way that conventional medicine will prescribe a medication to ingest or apply and no other action is required.   Oriental medicine says that if we are experiencing pain and suffering of any kind, there is some aspect of our life that is out of balance and thus supporting our current circumstances.  We must address the imbalance and take appropriate measures to correct it.  According to Chinese medicine, there are 6 main reasons that people experience illness:

1.      Improper eating habits

2.      Too much work

3.      Too much emotional upset (including stress)

4.      Not enough exercise

5.      Not enough rest

6.      Environmental

Except for #6, these are all lifestyle related issues to which changes should at least be considered.  Luckily though, Auricular Therapy will often stimulate the necessary motivation and awareness to catalyze change.

Auricular Therapy can be done alone, but is most often supported with one or more of the following treatments according to individual needs and preferences:

·         Meditation, QiGong and Tai Chi practice

·         Medical QiGong Energy Healing

·         Acupuncture

·         Massage Therapy

·         Five Element Nutritional Counseling

·         Herbal Therapy

·         Chinese Medical Essential Oil Treatments

What should I expect after a treatment?

Results will depend mainly on the degree of illness and the length of time it has been present.  Many conditions will experience immediate relief to some extent, while others will show gradual but steady improvement over time.  Treatments are continued, usually on a weekly basis, until symptoms are gone, or until enough of a push has started a healing momentum that can be maintained on your own.

Ear beads or seeds are kept in from 3-7 days.  They should be gently rubbed for 3-5 seconds each, 3-5 times every day.  A cotton ball should be placed in the ear to protect it while taking a shower.

What if I have pierced ears?It is recommended not to wear jewelry on the ear being treated as this will add stimulation that may affect the energy of the treatment.

Contact us if you are interested in receiving this therapy.  907-279-0135