Did you know that you can tell what is wrong with your body simply by looking at your ears? Yes, that's right! Auricular (ear) diagnosis is one of the methods we use in Chinese medicine to assess how your body is functioning and identify areas of disease. It can also reveal health problems early on, before they present with symptoms. In fact, over 10,000 cases have been studied to make correlations between auricular findings and the organ pathology causing the patient’s symptoms.
The ear is a map of the body, so each area gives information on a specific organ or area of the body (i.e. spine, knee, lung, liver, etc.). Dysfunction can be identified on the ear by visually inspecting it, using a dull probe to find tender or painful areas, or using an electrical skin resistance test device. Below are some common things you can look for:
Red spot = acute inflammation
Brown spot = old or chronic problem
Redness = severe and acute inflammation
Redness of ear lobe = high blood pressure
Blood vessels = poor blood flow / blood stagnation
Diagonal ear lobe crease = coronary heart disease
So once we find a problem on the ear what do we do? Identifying problems on the ear helps acupuncture physicians develop the appropriate treatment using acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and/or ear seed therapy. An ear seed is a small adhesive tape with a vaccaria seed, silver or gold pellet located on the back. The vaccaria seed (Wang Bu Liu Xing) is commonly used because it enhances blood circulation, while silver sedates and gold strengthens. The ear seed is placed on specific areas of the ear and pressed or massaged throughout the day to provide quick pain relief, relaxation, or to improve organ function. Because the ear is so close to the brain, it has a powerful effect on regulating brain chemistry for treating conditions like pain, stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD and addictions. This treatment can be done as a stand-alone treatment or as an additional take-home treatment for long-lasting results. Ear seeds typically remain in the ear for 5-7 days and stay on even when showering. You will notice tenderness at the areas where the condition is the worst when pressing the ear seed, which will dissipate once the condition has improved.
To schedule an auricular diagnosis and treatment, call our office today at 321-972-2940. We even have special Swarovski crystal ear seeds to add a little bling to your treatment!
References:
Volf, N., & Ferdman, L. (2016). Auricular Causative Diagnosis—Finding the Roots of Diseases: A Study of Clinical Cases. Retrieved from https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/acu.2016.1189