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

Overview of Cancer in Traditional Chinese Medicine

According to Western Medicine, cancer is a group of almost 100 different types of diseases marked by uncontrolled growth of cells in the human body and the ability of these cells to migrate from the original site and spread to distant sites. Western doctors typically use a combination of chemotherapy, radiation, diet, and exercise in order to control the extension of cancer cells. When it is not able to be controlled, cancer will cause death.

Over 1.6 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States in 2016. It is now the second leading cause of death nationwide, just behind heart disease. Over 500,000 people will die from cancer this coming year in the U.S.

Many patients, especially in more recent years, have turned to alternative medicine for cancer treatment. While ignoring your Oncologist’s advice is not recommended, the wide-range of alternative modalities leaves many options available to look into.

Even some of the most ancient healing systems, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), have treatment recommendations. Modern practitioners of TCM translate ancient beliefs into treatment plans for “diseases” that Western medicine has adorned with a name. Practitioners of TCM look at the constitution of the body in terms of the meridian systems, emotional state and flow of qi in order to prescribe one or a combination of treatments to a patient. Each patient will have a different treatment plan based off of excess or deficient amounts of qi in their body. These treatments may include diet modification/herbs, body work, qi gong, moxibustion, and cupping.

Diet and Herbs:

TCM practitioners use diet and herbs for many treatment plans, not just those for cancers. Foods, tastes and flavors are directly connected to the five elements and their properties, as well as their effects on the human body. Deficiencies or excess amounts of qi that cause an elemental imbalance will inform the therapist what to prescribe their patients. Be sure to find a therapist who has a long history of working with food and herbs prior to a consultation.

BodyWork:

There are many modifications to TCM body work modalities that any good therapist should know in order to make their massage a relaxing and beneficial experience for a client who is undergoing cancer treatment. All massage therapists will modify variables such as pressure and duration of massage. Massage therapists who use TCM in their practice may also include modifications to their massage patterns in order to work specific meridians and acupressure points that may complement a specific type of cancer treatment. While body work is not a primary treatment method for cancer, it is certainly a wonderful complementary care modality.

Qi Gong:

Most people have not ever heard of qi gong, but individuals who are conscious of and sensitive to their energy flow may find this modality very beneficial. Qi Gong, like yoga, uses dynamic postures and focused breathing in order to move energy along specific meridian channels on the body. Visit the National Qigong Association at www.nqa.org for more information.

Moxibustion:

Artemesia Vulgaris, or “Moxa”, is an herb that grows in China, California, and other locations on similar latitudes. Moxa is used regularly by TCM practitioners in order to treat yang deficiencies throughout the body. Moxa can be dried, rolled up into balls, and burned in a room to be diffused, or actually burned on the skin on specific acupressure points. In TCM, moxa warms what is cold. Moxa should NOT be used when the body is experiencing too much heat, which sometimes occurs with cancers. For example, moxa is contraindicated for high blood pressure and burning overactive tumors.

Cupping:

Cups are used for a wide-range of conditions. Most recently, professional athletes around the world have used cups in order to maintain circulation and performance-level muscle tension; however, cupping will usually be contraindicated for cancer treatment. While it does draw out yang heat, the effects on the body’s fragile elimination systems may uphold contraindication.

Citings:

American Cancer Society

www.cancer.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.org

Online Medical Dictionary

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Cancer

Oriental Healing Arts Center of Alaska

(class notes)

www.akinstitute.com  

Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements, 2^nd Edition

Dianne M. Connelly, PH.D.