The History, Mechanism, and Clinical Application of Auricular Therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Auricular therapy includes acupuncture, electroacupuncture, acupressure, lasering, cauterization, moxibustion, and bloodletting in the auricle. For 2500 years, people have employed auricular therapy for treating diseases, but the methods have been limited to bloodletting and cauterization. Only afte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine 2015-01, Vol.2015 (2015), p.1-13
Main Authors: Cheng, Chin-Yi, Tang, Nou-Ying, Lin, Yi-Wen, Hsu, Hsin-Cheng, Hou, Pu-Wei, Hsieh, Ching-Liang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acupuncture
Chinese medicine
Colleges & universities
Hippocrates (460?-377? BC)
Nogier, P.M.F
Obesity
Review
Technology application
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Summary:Auricular therapy includes acupuncture, electroacupuncture, acupressure, lasering, cauterization, moxibustion, and bloodletting in the auricle. For 2500 years, people have employed auricular therapy for treating diseases, but the methods have been limited to bloodletting and cauterization. Only after 1957, the international scientific community became aware that the map of the ear resembles an inverted fetus, its introduction has led to auricular acupuncture (AA) becoming a more systemic approach, and, following the identification and standardization of more precise points, AA has been employed in clinical applications. The mechanisms of AA are considered to have a close relationship with the autonomic nervous system, the neuroendocrine system, neuroimmunological factors, neuroinflammation, and neural reflex, as well as antioxidation. Auricular therapy has been applied, for example, for pain relief, for the treatment of epilepsy, anxiety, and obesity, and for improving sleep quality. However, the mechanisms and evidence for auricular therapy warrant further study.
ISSN:1741-427X
1741-4288
DOI:10.1155/2015/495684