ACU-BALANCE PROTOCOL
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient healing art that has been in use for over 3000 years. It is used by 1/4 of the world’s population as their main form of medical care. Acupuncture is one branch of the 5 branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine or ‘TCM’. The other branches are nutrition, herbal medicine, qigong (meditative exercise) and bodywork. Chinese medicine theory is based on the idea that humans are alive because of the “Qi” or vital energy in their bodies. Blockage in this flow of Qi is at the root of all illness. A person’s Qi can be accessed via 12 meridians or energetic pathways in the body or through certain microsystems of the body. By inserting fine needles in the body, an acupuncturist can affect the flow of the qi, and open up blockages in the flow of this energy so that the body can bring itself into balance and heal.
Microsystems
In a “microsystem”, the whole body is reflected in just one of its organs, such as the ear, hand or foot. Conditions of the entire body can be treated by using points in one microsystem. Foot reflexology is a good example of treating the whole body by treating the map of it drawn on the foot. Ear acupuncture also treats the whole body through needling or stimulating approximately 200 different points on the ear. The ear microsystem has been found to be extremely effective in treating imbalances related to brain chemistry. It has been used to treat pain, sleep, anxiety, depression and addiction to name a few.
Brief History of Auricular Acupuncture
Historians have discovered that ear acupuncture in some rudimentary forms have been used throughout history. It is documented that in ancient Egypt, women pricked the external ear as a form of birth control. During the time of Hippocrates, men were making small openings in the veins behind the ear to facilitate ejaculation and reduce impotency. In the second century Rome, scarification of the outer ear was used to treat leg pain. Ancient sailors in the Mediterranean would wear gold earrings to improve their vision. The Dutch East Indian company traded with China throughout the 1600-1800’s and brought acupuncture practices to Europe. One of these practices was to scar the ear in order to treat leg pain. This practice withstood 2 centuries of use until it was discovered in 1957 by physician Paul Nogier. Dr. Nogier is said to be the father of Auricular acupuncture.
Nogier was a practicing medicine in Lyons France when he noticed small scars on the ears of some of his patients. These patients had received scarring on their ears to treat their sciatica. This intrigued Nogier, who ultimately created the modern map of the ear micro-system. The map of the ear looks much like an upside down fetus. The ear lobe is the head and sensory organs, and the outer ear houses the extremities. The inner concha or well of the ear is where the internal organs are located. The Chinese studied Nogier’s ear map, very similar to their ancient map, and researched its validity. The outcome of the research was very a positive so they gave this system to their “Barefoot Doctors” the peasant healers in the countryside of China. During the Cultural Revolution these barefoot doctors treated the masses using this and other methods of acupuncture herbs and moxibustion. In 1974, Psychiatrist Michael Smith created the NADA protocol, using Nogier’s map of the ear. Dr Smith began using 5 essential points on the ear to treat Heroin addicts in the South Bronx of NYC. He had amazing success with his NADA protocol, and it is still used today throughout the world as a useful tool in treating addictions of all kinds. The NADA protocol that Smith created has expanded its use to treat Post Traumatic Stress disorder, mood disorders, Attention Deficit Disorder & many other imbalances of the emotional body. Acubalance protocol uses some of the 5 points of NADA and other crucial points to broaden the spectrum of effectiveness. See our website for interesting articles and facts related to Auricular therapy.
The Acubalance Protocol
It is a well known fact that our stress and mental outlook are at the root of almost every illness. Stress causes chemical changes in our bodies that decrease immunity, decrease organ functioning and leave us more susceptible to chronic illness like diabetes, high blood pressure, or cancer. Stress is always at the root of our emotional imbalances like depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, addiction and the like. We all look for ways to alleviate the stress in our lives through healthy or not so healthy choices. These choices can either make the situation better or worse. Talking about our stress and trying to fix it with our minds has not met with great success. Mentally focusing on how much we dislike the stress over time changes our overall mental outlook, which changes our brain chemistry and ultimately leads to significant changes in the cells of our bodies.
Acubalance takes a different aim. By focusing on balancing the body’s Qi, we support the organs of the body and the central nervous system so that our brain chemistry can be affected. By accessing the Qi of the body we change the physiology of the body and bring about subsequent changes in our mental outlook. Acubalance is a non-verbal treatment because by calming the thinking mind, and dropping into the pleasant feeling you get from the treatment, you are also supporting your body’s innate ability to heal.
The NADA protocol mentioned earlier used acupuncture needles in the ear for 45 minutes and recommended daily treatment. Unlike the NADA protocol, Acubalance uses interdermal tacks, a sort of mini acupuncture needle on surgical tape. These tacks can be placed on the vital points in the ear and left in for 2-3 days. This enables us to simply rub our ears and stimulate the needles whenever we need it, for example when we can’t sleep, our back aches, or when we are craving a cigarette.
To receive Acubalance, we go into a calm non-verbal space, and allow the acupuncturist to place the tacks in both ears. If the tacks seem too intense, there is also the option of using seeds or magnetic beads on the points. The process takes about 10 minutes. We think that bodywork immediately following makes the treatment more beneficial. That’s it. The tacks will eventually fall off or you can take them off whenever you like. the tacks are not easily visible to others. It is recommended to come in for more tacks when you take out the old ones, so that you can have continual stimulation of the vital points. The more you use the protocol, the more you will see change in your overall well-being.
AURICULAR THERAPY IS CONTRA-INDICATED IF YOU ARE PREGNANT.
