Ear Acupuncture | The Europeans

Much of the work of auricular therapy was delineated by Dr. Paul Nogier first textbook on the subject , " The treatus of Auriculotherapy" 1972. In 1950 Dr. Nogier was "intrigued by a strange scar which patient had in the external ear." He found that it was a treatment for sciatic a involving cauterization of the edge of antihelix on the same side of the neuralgia which had previously been observed.

These patients were unanimous in stating that they had received relief for their sciatica pain within hours and even minutes from this ear cauterization. While discussing this anithelix cauterization point for sciatica with a colleague, Dr. Aman Thieu told Dr. Nogier " the problem with sciatic is the problem with the lumbosacral hinge". Dr. Nogier then conjectured that the antihelix area cauterized for sciatica could correspond to the lumbosacral joint and whole antihelix could represent the spinal column. The head could correspond to the lobe and the antitragius area. In this way the ear could resemble an embryo in utero.

First Nogier experimented with cautery, then with a needle, and then with electrical microcurrents imperceptible to the patient. Theses microcurrents were successful in relieving pain and caused no undue nervous upset to the patient which cauterization had done. In 1955, Dr. Nogier mentioned his discoveries to the undisputed master of acupuncture in France Dr. Niboyet and as a result Dr. Nogier presented his findings to the Mediterranean Society in 1956 in which Dr. Bachman of Munich Germany was in attendance. He published Dr. Nogier's findings in an acupuncture journal which has worldwide circulation particularly in the far east . Because of these translations from German, the ear reflex system was soon known by Chinese and Japanese acupuncturist. Dr. Nogier commented that " each doctor needs to be convinced of the efficacy of this ear reflex method by personal results that he or she is right. They are indeed fortunate people who can convince themselves simply by noting the improvement of a symptoms they themselves have experienced" As Dr. Nogier says " the first stages of learning the map of the ear consist of getting to know the morphology of the external ear, its reflex, cartography and found to treat simple pains of traumatic origins."

In 1966, Dr. Nogier, discovered a change in the radial arterial pulse following tactile simulation to the ear. This was called the articular cardiac reflex. This pulse change was a modification of the pulse amplitude and way form. It is not related to the changes in the pulse rate. The Auricular cardiac reflex has been important in identifying each ear reflex points corresponding to particular parts of the body where there is pain or pathology. Later, Dr. Nogier revised the name of auricular cardiac reflex to the vascular autonomic signal (VAS) when he realized that this was an involuntary arterial reflex and was not limited to auricular stimulation but was in fact a general vascular continuous reflex that could be achieved by tactile and electrical stimulation for many body areas. The use of a VAS is an integral part of auricular medicine. Besides using mechanical pressure or electrical stimulation, light frequency filters and chemical substances on slides were put over the surface of the ear to demonstrate a VAS response. Wherever there was pathology in the corresponding area of the body. As of this date, Dr. Paul Nogier is still alive in Leon, France, retired.