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Results for “Auriculotherapy”

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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

The therapeutic efficacy of somatic acupuncture is not increased by auriculotherapy: a randomised, blind control study in cervical myofascial pain.

Auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture) is a therapeutic technique in which points on the auricle are stimulated with needles. Usually it is combined with somatic acupuncture because of possible synergy, although the efficacy of this pairing has neither been confirmed nor disproved. The aim of this study was to verify: (1) if somatic acupuncture can reduce myofascial cervical pain; (2) if concomitant auriculotherapy improves the efficacy of somatic acupuncture. A group of 62 patients affected by cervical myofascial pain was randomly divided into two groups of 31. Group A (6 males and 25 females) underwent eight sessions of somatic acupuncture. Group B (7 males and 24 females) underwent eight sessions of somatic acupuncture in the same way as group A, paired with auriculotherapy. Pain was scored using the McGill Pain Questionnaire before and at the end of treatment, and 1 and 3 months later. The results showed that both somatic acupuncture and somatic plus ear acupuncture have a positive effect in reducing pain. The pain intensity score was 40.70 +/- 17.78 in group A before therapy and 13.32 +/- 9.62 after therapy; in group B it was 38.90 +/- 15.31 and 13.43 +/- 10.96. Somatic plus auriculotherapy was therefore not statistically significantly superior to somatic therapy alone in the treatment of cervical myofascial pain.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed1984

Auriculotherapy fails to relieve chronic pain. A controlled crossover study.

Enthusiastic reports of the effectiveness of electrical stimulation of the outer ear for the relief of pain ("auriculotherapy") have led to increasing use of the procedure. In the present study, auriculotherapy was evaluated in 36 patients suffering from chronic pain, using a controlled crossover design. The first experiment compared the effects of stimulation of designated auriculotherapy points, and of control points unrelated to the painful area. A second experiment compared stimulation of designated points with a no-stimulation placebo control. Pain-relief scores obtained with the McGill Pain Questionnaire failed to show any differences in either experiment. It is concluded that auriculotherapy is not an effective therapeutic procedure for chronic pain.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Auriculotherapy on low back pain in the elderly.

The objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of auriculotherapy using magnetic pellets for the elderly suffering from low back pain (LBP). Sixty participants who were 60-years old or above and had been suffering from LBP were recruited. Participants were randomly allocated to receive auriculotherapy on a 3-week basis using either Semen Vaccariae (control group=30) or magnetic pellets (experimental group=30). Seven auricular acupoints that are believed to have an effect on LBP were selected. Treatment effects were evaluated using the Chinese Pain Intensity Verbal Rating scale (VRS). The experimental group had indeed experienced a significant improvement in pain relief when compared with the control group; and the therapeutic effects were sustained at 2 and 4-week follow-up periods after the therapy. Findings of this study demonstrated that auriculotherapy using magnetic pellets significantly reduce the pain intensity level of the elderly suffering from non-specific LBP.

Acupressure↗

PubMed1990

A clinical study of auriculotherapy in canine thoracolumbar disc disease.

Auriculotherapy (ear-point acupuncture) was used in dogs (n = 30) suffering from thoracolumbar disc disease, Types I-IV, with a duration of 1 to (47 means = 8) d. During auriculotherapy treatment, no analgaesics or antiinflammatory medications were used. Pressure-sensitive and electrically detectable points on the concave aspect of the external auricle were stimulated by insertion of stainless steel acupuncture needles for 20 min. One to 6 needles were used on each occasion in a maximum of 3 treatments. Fifty per cent of dogs recovered completely and 23% improved. Dogs with backpain only (Type I) and dogs with paresis (Type II) responded best with mean recovery times of 1.7 and 3.2 d respectively. The analgaesic effects were especially impressive. Auriculotherapy failed in 3 (50%) paralysed dogs (Types III and IV) in which post-mortem examinations confirmed focal myelitis and myelomalacia. Four of 12 dogs (33%) recorded relapsed in 1.4 to 26 weeks after successful treatment.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed1990

Effect of helium-neon laser auriculotherapy on experimental pain threshold.

This study was conducted to examine the effects of helium-neon laser auriculotherapy on experimental pain threshold. Eighty healthy female and male subjects, aged 18 to 39 years, were assigned randomly to one of two treatment groups. Subjects in the Experimental Group (n = 41) received laser stimulation, and subjects in the Control Group (n = 39) received sham stimulation to appropriate acupuncture points on the left ear. Experimental pain threshold at the ipsilateral wrist was determined with an electrical stimulus immediately before and after treatment. The mean change (posttreatment minus pretreatment) for the Experimental Group was greater than the mean change for the Control Group (p less than .05). The Experimental Group demonstrated a statistically significant (p less than .05) increase in mean pain threshold after treatment, but the Control Group did not. Results indicate that helium-neon laser auriculotherapy can increase experimental pain threshold and suggest a possible alternative for patients intolerant of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Role of auriculotherapy in smoking cessation. Personal experience].

Smoking is one of the main causes of poor health and early death. In line with the 1999 law which aims at reducing smoking, we have tested auriculotherapy as an aid for giving up smoking. We tried this treatment on 39 people who wanted to give up smoking. After two months of treatment, 15 people (38.5%) had given up completely and 24 people had reduced their smoking by more than half. Auriculotherapy is an useful aid for giving up smoking. It is easy and painless, has no secondary effects and it is economic.

Acupuncture, Ear↗

PubMed2002

Auriculotherapy stimulation for neuro-rehabilitation.

The capability of reflex points on the external ear to alter neuromuscular and neuropathic disorders has been attributed to the descending pain inhibitory pathways of the central nervous system. The inverted fetus perspective of the somatotopic arrangement of auricular acupuncture points was first described in the 1950's by Dr. Paul Nogier of France, and has received scientific support from double blind studies examining auricular diagnosis of musculoskeletal and of coronary disorders. Acupuncture points on the ear and on the body have lower levels of electrical skin resistance than surrounding tissue. These electrodermal differences are apparently related to autonomic control of blood vessels rather than increased sweat gland activity. The heightened tenderness of reactive acupuncture points may be explained by the accumulation of noxious, subdermal substances. Electrical stimulation of specific points on the external ear leads to site specific neural responses in different regions of the brain. Behavioral analgesia produced by auricular acupuncture can be blocked by the opiate antagonist naloxone, indicating the role of endorphinergic systems in understanding the underlying mechanisms of auriculotherapy. The anatomical structures and electrical application of the auricle are described as they relate to the localization of master points, musculoskeletal points, internal organ points, and neuroendocrine points.

Acupuncture Points↗

PubMed1983

[Acupuncture, auriculotherapy and craniopuncture in the treatment of functional amblyopia in children].

After a survey of the most recent neurophysiological acquisitions in the study of functional amblyopia, a group of 18 subjects in evolutive age treated by acupuncture, auriculotherapy and craniopuncture is presented. The results, encouraging but not conclusive, are discussed.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed1996

[Postoperative analgesia by auriculotherapy during laparoscopic cholecystectomy].

Auriculotherapy based on traditional Chinese cartography can be used for pain relief after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It consists of palpating and pricking some well defined ear points corresponding to the surgical site. Relief was quickly obtained and compares favourably with minor parenteral analgesics.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed1990