Blog#46:
Ear Acupuncture and a New Year’s Gift
Also called auriculotherapy, this
kind of acupuncture is applied to the ears.
Auriculotherapy can be used to reduce or eliminate pain, help balance
the autonomic nervous system, and help improve the functioning of internal
organs. Although this style of acupuncture
is complex and detailed, lay people can learn to locate some points and massage
them gently to help in certain situations, especially when dealing with stress. Highlight and right click or double click on the link below to view an ear chart where some of the
important acupuncture points are labeled.
http://www.agingwithhealth.com/ear%20points.html
When massaged gently, usually in a clockwise direction, some of these
points can help calm the mind and relax the body. Four of the most important and effective
points for relaxation and stress reduction are ZERO POINT, SHEN MEN, LUNG and
ENDOCRINE. It is important that if you are massaging
these points, you do so in a loving and respectful manner, accepting whatever
results occur. When used appropriately, ZERO POINT helps balance the
entire body, SHEN MEN helps calm the mind, LUNG POINT helps relax the diaphragm
and can improve vital capacity and oxygenation of the body, and ENDOCRINE POINT
helps improve the functioning of the endocrine glands, which include the
adrenal glands, gonads, pancreas, thyroid, parathyroid, thymus, pituitary, and pineal gland.
An acupuncturist often uses small needles
on ear points, and also often allows these needles to be left in for several
hours or up to a couple of days. Needles
often fall out by themselves, and sometimes they can be gently removed, either
by the acupuncturist or the recipient of treatment. After needle removal, the ear should be
cleansed with alcohol or perhaps hydrogen peroxide or iodine to make sure the
area does not become infected.
Recently, “Battlefield Acupuncture”,
which uses several ear points, has gained some popularity. Just as it sounds, these points are sometimes
used in emergency situations to calm wounded soldiers, reduce pain, or even
slow bleeding when other treatments are not available.
This blog’s offer: feel free to contact me with questions
regarding these four points. Also, I
offer a “happy hour” treatment which takes about 20 minutes, and can leave you
feeling calmer and more relaxed.
During the month of January, I will
mail out something I think will be of interest to you. Please give me your feedback about the
mailing and also let me know if you did not receive it.
