The thought that placing an acupuncture needle in a point on the ear can treat the feet or the liver or even improve our mood and well-being may seem far-fetched until we consider how the Asian systems of medicine and philosophies including Yoga see the body, mind and spirit as being intertwined and interconnected. Auricular acupuncture (the use of needles or pressure on specific points on the outer ear) is an ancient style that some practitioners favor over whole body treatments for addressing many kinds of ailments. The use of a specific auricular protocol in the treatment of addiction has become popularized by the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA).
The NADA protocol was developed at a hospital in New York City in the late 1980s. An acupuncturist was brought in to treat patients who had contracted some pathology while going through withdrawal from chemical dependency. It was observed that people who were receiving acupuncture in addition to their regular treatments had an easier time going through withdrawal than those without the advantage of acupuncture.
The five auricular points used in the NADA protocol are: Liver, Lung, Kidney, Spirit Gate and Sympathetic. The needles are left in for up to an hour. The treatment reduces cravings, induces calmness and targets the primary organ systems affected by both behavioral and substance abuse as well as many of the side effects of prescribed medications. Treatments can be tailored to specific needs; for example, needling the Hunger point will benefit those who might have an eating disorder or who are working on weight management. There is a growing body of research demonstrating its effectiveness.
Microsystems
Oriental Medical (OM) theory views the body as an environment, a system where everything affects everything else in positive and/or negative ways. OM holds that, within the body, there are several, self-contained, microsystems that correspond to, and can be used instead of or in addition to the whole. A popular example of a microsystem is Reflexology, that of the feet corresponding to the whole body. Other microsystems are found on the back and the front of the body, on the hand, foot, nose, face, scalp, arms, legs and the ears. The body can be superimposed on the ear such that the head can be found on the lobe of the ear, the internal organs in the middle and the spine along the inner edge (the anti-helix).
The chakras can also be located and treated by auricular acupuncture. According to Terry Oleson (Auricular Therapy Manual, 3rd edition) some of the points used in the NADA protocol correspond to the chakras:
| Top to bottom: top=Shen Men, 2nd=Sympathetic, 3rd=Liver, 4th=Lung, 5th/needle at acute angle from bottom right to middle of ear=Kidney point |  | Sympathetic point: first chakra Shen Men: second chakra Point Zero: third chakra (This point balances any treatment) Liver point: fourth chakra |
How Acupuncture Works
The insertion of an acupuncture needle in the body stimulates the primal energy of qi or prana (qi is very similar to prana, which means both primal energy as well as breath). When a needle is inserted, the body has an instantaneous response, similar to when the skin is broken or cut. Faster than you can say “ouch!” the innate intelligence of the body has already initiated an increase in damage repair cells, via the blood, to that area. The movement as well as the intelligence governing the movement can be called qi. Being alive means that we have this qi or prana coursing through us.
This primal energy can be stimulated and manipulated by the practitioner to treat any area or system that is out of balance. Needles are usually placed on specific points along meridians covering most of the body. The twelve primary meridians are named after the internal organs. (Vedic writings described channels of energy called nadis, which extend over the surface of the body through which prana can flow). Needling the related points on a microsystem can also treat these organs and their corresponding symptoms.
Acupuncture for Addiction, Trauma and Stress
Most addictions are rooted in the experience of some form of emotional, physical, psychological or spiritual trauma. Even when the trauma is no longer an immediate factor, the experience of it is stored in and deregulates the nervous system, leading to activation of the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic or flight/flight activation and parasympathetic or rest and restore processes). Deregulation can lead to a myriad of possible symptoms, including dissociation, overly emotional states, pain seemingly without cause, insomnia, digestive irregularities, difficulty concentrating or feeling as though a person is in a constant state of agitation.
You can do more with your ears than just listen!
Stagnant energy along a pathway or in an organ can manifest as illness of any type, be it physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual. Inserting needles in specific points on the body as well as on microsystems, including the ears, can stimulate and move this energy ensuring integrity, healthy pathways and function of all the body’s systems. Through the freeflow of qi, health is restored and we can live congruently within the natural cycles of life.
Further Reading/References:
Auriculotherapy Manual, Third edition by Terry Oleson
Waking the Tiger by Dr Peter Levine
The Web that has No Weaver by Ted J. Kaptchuk, OMD
Andre Zitcer, L.Ac SEP is a licensed Acupuncturist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner with a private practice in Santa Monica. He also works with several treatment facilities in the LA area and has been teaching Yoga since 1997. He specializes in the treatment of trauma, stress, addiction, pain and their related disharmonies.