How Does Ear Acupuncture Work?
What is Ear (Auricular) Acupuncture?
Auricular acupuncture is a form of acupuncture that is applied to the ears. It uses the ear as a microsystem for the entire body. There are many systems of acupuncture that map the entire body on other body parts, for example: the abdomen or the hand. Reflexology uses a similar model by treating internal organ imbalances by massaging areas in the foot. In East Asian Medicine, the tongue, face and abdomen can be used to diagnosis imbalances in the body and organs as well.
Auricular acupuncture is known to be extremely effecting in treating: chronic pain, addiction, withdrawal, trauma, anxiety, and insomnia.
Auricular acupuncture works by activating neuroendocrine and autonomic pathways. This has an effect on the secretion of hormones as well as bodily functions like blood pressure, heart rate and the digestive system. Stimulation of the specific points on the ear activates nerve pathways that send signals directly to the brain. This leads to the release of endorphins, serotonin, and cortisol, that help to reduce pain, inflammation, and stress.
What is the Research on Auricular Acupuncture?
Auricular acupuncture has been heavily researched so much so that it is commonly used as a complimentary treatment for pain conditions and addiction. The Veterans Affairs (VA) considers it to be a useful treatment in helping their patients for chronic pain and minimizing the use of opioids.
A randomized clinical trial conducted in 2019, in three different regions in Spain looked at the effects of auricular acupuncture on lumbar and pelvic pain in pregnant women (Vas, et. al). This study showed significant reduction of lumbar and pelvic pain after two weeks of acupuncture. Participants reported improved quality of life and reduction of functional disability.
A cross-sectional study published in 2018 involved administering auricular acupuncture in a VA center. It determined that it was effective for immediate pain relief and shows promise as a non-pharmacologic method of pain management. Another study (Murakami et al. 2017)also looked the effects of auricular acupuncture for immediate pain relief and found it to be effective within 48 hours.
In 2017, a Brazilian team of acupuncturists treated nurses with ear acupuncture and ear seeds, twice a week for five weeks. Their treatments were approximately 5-10 minutes. This study showed a 17% in reduction of anxiety and 36% reduction of pain in those that received acupuncture. A 24% reduction of pain was shown in those who only received ear seeds.
The Significance of Auricular Acupuncture in the US
Acupuncture has been practiced for over 3,000 years in China and other parts of Asia. Chinese immigrants began immigration to the US in the 1850’s. The first Chinatown, San Francisco’s Chinatown was established in 1848. Though acupuncture in the US is credited towards American physicians, it was actually brought to the US through the many Chinese that came in the 19th century and afterwards, who suffered through the impact of the Paige Act, the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Anti-Asian rhetorics that came with these violent legislations. As immigrants in a country that did not treat them as humans, accessing medicine that was indigenous to them was vital.
A commonly told story about the origins acupuncture in the US is that of James Reston and New York Times columnist, who visited China in 1971 for an assignment in preparation for Richard Nixon’s trip there. Reston suffered an acute attack of appendicitis and subsequently under went surgery. He received acupuncture for his post surgical recovery and pain and told his story to the nation. Reston was afforded with the privileges of being a US citizen and employed with the New York Times which made his words more important. He[Reston], was credited for bringing the knowledge acupuncture to the US and his privileged experience is a textbook example of how orientalism operates. Around the same time, in the 1970’s activists including the Young Lords, Black Panthers and Dr. Mutulu Shakur were involved in implementing social programs at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx in order to ensure their communities were being properly served in response to widespread addiction suffered by many in communities of color. As a part of these community health programs, ear acupuncture was used to help many curb the side effects of withdrawal symptoms. It was at Lincoln Hospital that the NADA protocol was developed for the treatment of addiction.
The NADA protocol has been widely used in drug rehabilitation programs throughout the United States to help people overcome addiction, but it can also be used to treat anxiety, pain, and other ailments. Ear seeds can also be used to stimulate points on the ears.
Dr. Shakur was later imprisoned for conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery and other related charges. Dr. Shakur has maintained his innocence. Many people believe he was framed by the government for his political activism and his affiliation with the Black Panther Party. Many supporters of Shakur also argue that he was targeted for his efforts to provide health care and other services to underserved communities, particularly in the Black community. Dr. Shakur was not only one of the pioneers of acupuncture use for detox at Lincoln Hospital, he also helped to establish many community health clinics for the Black community in New York City. He took part in promoting and providing health education, especially around the HIV/AIDS crisis and participated in advocacy for political prisoners. In 2022, after 30 years in prison, he was finally granted a compassionate release due to his late stage bone cancer. It has been many years that activists and acupuncturists have been petitioning for his release.
What are Ear Seeds?
Ear seeds are seeds or beads that are applied to acupuncture points on the ears with adhesive as an acupressure treatment. They are non-invasive can be safely worn for a few days at a time. Ear seeds can be worn in between acupuncture treatments to extend the effects or as a stand alone treatment. Patients can learn to apply ear seeds safely on their own with a little guidance. They can be used on children as long as they are properly monitored. Because some ear seeds are metal or magnetic it is important to make sure they are not accidentally ingested by children or pets.
Scroll past the video for any citations and sources
Written by Dr. Emily Siy, DACM 4/12/23
Sources:
Sha Be Allah (2022) Dr. Mutulu Shakur Granted Compassionate Release To Spend Final Days Outside Prison The Source (Online) Nov 11
Collins, Sam P.K. (2022) Practitioners of ‘Liberation Medicine’ Celebrate Dr. Mutulu Shakur’s Upcoming Prison Release The Washington Informer (Online) Nov 22
Federman DG, Zeliadt SB, Thomas ER, Carbone GF Jr, Taylor SL. Battlefield Acupuncture in the Veterans Health Administration: Effectiveness in Individual and Group Settings for Pain and Pain Comorbidities. Med Acupunct. 2018 Oct 1;30(5):273-278.
Meng, Eana (2020) Dr. Mutulu Shakur and the Lincoln Detox Center Of Part and Parcel (Online) Feb 20
M. Murakami, DO, L. Fox, MD, Marcel P. Dijkers, PhD, Ear Acupuncture for Immediate Pain Relief—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials, Pain Medicine, Volume 18, Issue 3, March 2017, Pages 551–564
Sherman, Lisa (2017) Ear acupuncture reduces pain and anxiety for nurse The Journal of Chinese Medicine Issue 114
Vas, J., Cintado, M., Aranda-Regules, J, Aguilar, I., Ruiz, F. (2019) Effect of ear acupuncture on pregnancy-related pain in the lower back and posterior pelvic girdle: A multicenter randomized clinical trial Acta Obestetrica et Gynecologica Scandinavica Volume98, Issue10, October Pages 1307-1317