Patient Information Leaflet:
What is Auricular Reflexology?
Stimulation of reflexology points is one of the oldest and most widely spread healing methods in the world. Stimulating the precisely defined points of the skin can end or ease dis-ease in the body.
Reflexology points are connected by energy pathways which are called “meridians.” According to ancient Chinese teaching, the life energy circulates through the body along these meridians. The two components of the life force, Yin energy and Yang energy, act in the body as opposite poles. The ideal state of health is achieved by balancing Yin and Yang in the body. Any imbalance or blockage of energy leads to illness in the long run.
To restore the flow of energy, reflexology points can be influenced in various ways. Stimulating the point with a finger is called Reflexology. The points themselves can also be stimulated by head (moxibustion), needling (acupuncture), laser beam (laser acupuncture), underwater massage by a jet, or ultrasound.
The course of a meridian through the body can explain why, such as, a disturbed gallbladder function can lead to headaches: The meridian running through the gallbladder region (the Gallbladder Meridian) extends further to the head. The meridian may be compared to a water hose: If the hose has a knot at one end, the water cannot flaw out at the other end. Likewise, a headache may occur when the flow of energy in the Gallbladder Meridian is interrupted due to a disturbed gallbladder function. In this example, the disturbed gallbladder needs to be treated first, to relax the headache.
Ear Reflexology
This special form of auricular therapy was developed in the 1950s by the French physician, Dr Paul Nogier. He discovered that the surface of the outer ear (auricle) is a reflex area on which all parts of the body are represented.
By examining the individual reflex zones on the ear it is possible to find precisely where in the body the pain is located – or which organs are affected if the origin of the pain is unclear. Certain disturbances in the body which can delay, or een prevent, the healing process can also be located. At first glance, such a focus has nothing to do with the disease process itself and is often not even noticed by the patient. However, these foci can have such a negative effect on the body that it becomes prone to falling ill. In addition, they can prevent a preexisting disease from responding to conventional therapies so that the body cannot get rid of it.
Examination is carried out by painlessly measuring voltage differences on the ear surface. Individual ear points that represent specific parts of the body are checked for electrical changes. Thus, the auricle can be regarded as the body’s own diagnostic center because an ear point corresponding to a body part can only be detected when the part in question is disturbed. For example, an electrical change at the Liver Point on the ear indicates a disturbance of the liver.
Treatment is performed by massaging the respective points on the ear and, if necessary, also on the body. All signals induced by ear stimulation travel through a specific part of the brain, the diencephalon, to the corresponding body parts. The body parts strictly obey these commands because they come straight from the brain. This, auricular therapy takes advantage of the human body’s own control center, namely, the brain.
All dis-eases than can be traced back to a disturbed (and not destroyed) organ function can be treated by Auriculotherapy: migraine, insomnia, depression, indigestion, autonomic symptoms, rheumatism, and most conditions of pain (such as tennis elbow, pain in the shoulder, back pain, neck-shoulder pain).
Some patients feel immediately relieved, others need several days (about four to five treatments) before they notice an improvement. Some people feel as if they were walking on air after the treatment, and almost all feel very relaxed afterward.
Of course, it is impossible to treat destroyed structures, such as a tooth destroyed by caries. Likewise, a hip-joint disease cannot be undone. However, auricular therapy (reflexology) can increase blood flow to the joists and thus ease the pain. Reflexology cannot dissolve biliary or renal stones nor can it heal a fractured bone, but it can reduce pain after surgery.
Auricular therapy (reflexology) are both effective forms of treatment and do not have any risks or side effects, provided they are performed properly. However, they should only be performed in connection with clinical diagnostic procedures carried out by a physician.
Should you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me.