Community Sessions

Auricular acupuncture is a great way of trying acupuncture if you have never experienced it before. This special service to the community is a way of reducing some of the cost barriers that may be associated with private acupuncture treatments with the fantastic addition of qi gong & a tea ceremony to help you thrive for the week! The more you come, the better your results. 

MA&W’s community auricular acupuncture is a social-business model that aims to increase patient access to acupuncture by offering individualized treatments in a quiet, comfortable group setting with lower fees. 

 What is auricular acupuncture?

The ear is a microcosm of the entire body, a map of the body! Through the ear, the entire body can be treated. Microsystems also appear on foot & hand reflexology, facial acupuncture, & scalp acupuncture.

Auricular acupuncture is the stimulation of the external ear for the diagnosis & treatment of health conditions. These health conditions may be taking place anywhere throughout the body. The stimulation of these acupuncture points can be done manually, with an acupuncture needle, a laser, magnets, or ear seeds. Regardless of the means of stimulation, auricular acupuncture can be a very powerful addition to regular acupuncture treatments.

What is the history of auricular acupuncture?

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a medical system that dates back nearly 4,000 years. Auricular acupuncture was first mentioned around 500 B.C. in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, which is the equivalent to the Bible for TCM practitioners. However, the method in which auricular acupuncture is practiced today is actually based upon discoveries that occurred in France in the 1950s done by the late Dr. Paul Nogier of France.

In 1990, the director of the World Health Organization stated “Auricular acupuncture is probably the most developed and best documented, scientifically, of all the microsystems of acupuncture and is the most practical and widely used.”

There are over 200 acupuncture points in the ear with many protocols that can be done. For instance, in 2001, Dr. Richard Niemtzow, a radiation oncologist & the first acupuncturist in the military developed Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA). BFA is a protocol that uses a set of five acupuncture points that have been shown to have an effect on the Central Nervous System (CNS) & pain perception. In case studies, this protocol has been shown to have the same pain relieving effects as opioid drugs. This form of acupuncture is used to help soldiers deal with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) brought on by being in combat, chronic pain, drug addiction, high blood pressure, & nausea.

“NADA” is another standard auricular acupuncture treatment established by the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association. Cravings for alcohol & drugs including nicotine have shown to be reduced by this protocol as well as aiding in the minimization of withdrawal symptoms. NADA can also help with lowering cortisol levels, improving sleep, & helping establish a sense of ease.

Auricular therapy is wonderful for but not limited to: pain, addiction, weight loss, anxiety, depression, insomnia, PTSD, digestion, & even menstrual cramps.