Acupuncture in Santa Monica, Los Angeles

In Focus: Auriculotherapy

Auriculotherapy is another important therapeutic modality employed in the holistic healing paradigm. Specific points on the external ear are gently stimulated using needles (ear acupuncture) or tiny magnets creating a virtually pain-free treatment for people of all ages with a wide variety of health concerns. 

The auricular (ear) map is based on the fundamentals of a microsystem where one part of the body holds a holographic representation of the whole body. You may be already familiar with other microsystems such as points on the soles of our feet (foot reflexology) and hand microsystem charts.

As for ear acupuncture, it was neurologist Paul Nogier from France who first created a chart or detailed mapping of the outer ear. Doctor Nogier and his colleagues perceived that the ear has a triple sensory innervation system and that each such nerve corresponds to the embryonic development layers: endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm. Their work in the early 1950s determined that using specific points illicit a reflex reaction from the ear to the brain. This corresponds with augmented healing and produces therapeutic effects such as decreased pain, stress, increased relaxation and tissue restoration.