Although some people know that auricular acupuncture can be helpful in facilitating a weight loss program you may be using, or to stop smoking, fewer know that is perhaps more effective for reducing stress, depression, anxiety, irritability & violent tendencies, sleep problems, aches & pain, and improving poor appetite, or a balancing of the body’s vital energy when used in preventative wellness.
The main treatment consists of 4 or 5 tiny, sterile, disposable acupuncture needles inserted in each car into specific points that aid in the detoxification process and general body balancing. Clients are asked to sit quietly in a group setting and relax for 30 to 45 minutes in order to let the acupuncture do its work. Once in place, the needles may tingle or feel warm.
Most clients agree that the treatment is a relaxing and comfortable experience. Herbal tea may be provided for relaxation and a licensed acupuncturist is available to answer questions you may have.
Other ear therapies use tiny ear tacks, therapeutic seeds, or stainless steel balls plated with silver, gold, platinum, or no coating at all. Magnetized balls can be when appropriate to treat specific complaints. They are placed on precise therapeutic areas of the ear, and secured with small sections of sterile clear or surgical tape. These other auriculotherapies are typically used as part of an integrated take-home treatment.
2. NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) Adjunctive Addiction Therapy: assists in the withdrawal and recovery from substance abuse and eating disorders (see "Acupuncture for weight loss") to control food cravings and obesity. Auricular acupuncture has been successful in treating clients who want to quit their addiction (see our Smoking Cessation Program) and use it in conjunction with a recovery program (Smokers Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, etc.). NADA effectively addresses the stressors described in (1) above, as well as nausea, headaches, and cravings when simultaneously done with a 12-Step recovery program.
3. Prevention: Auriculotherapy can also be used to detect where the body is prone to any future ailments, and taking treatments consistently over time as a part of preventative wellness can help restore vital energy, improved immune system function, improved relaxation, and allow the body, mind and spirit to function in a more harmonious way. Often, after treatment, people say they feel relaxed, think more clearly, and have a general sense of well being.
It is believed that acupuncture helps turn on the production system of your body's own endorphins and dopamine that the drugs/alcohol turned off during the time of use. In this way, the body is allowed to become more balanced and thus, many people say they are able to sleep better and feel less anxious as they move through their revitalization process.
Acupuncture, alone is not a cure for addictive behavior. It is strongly recommended that the clients also seek counseling and attend meetings or programs that specifically focus on the addictive substance or behavior. Acupuncture then becomes an important part of the whole picture of a person's healing process.
Although auricular acupuncture has many powerful relaxing effects, defining it as "stress-relief" is a serious misunderstanding since:
It is valuable in helping clients prepare for the future, and not merely just coping with the past
As the client develops a more balanced state of mind over time, the meditative relaxation lasts for a longer period of time, thereby allowing the client to learn that their private, internal process of healing can be a source of strength and renewal
Since many clients already know that food, cigarettes, alcohol, etc. are excellent "treatments" for stress, auricular acupuncture helps them substitute a healthy, self-nurturing behavior in place of harmful habits and substances.
