In the 1950's a Frenchmen named Dr. Nogier was intrigued by an old French folk remedy of cauterizing certain points of the ear to treat back pain. He began to search for and map certain points on the ear. His conclusions were that the ear represented a miniature map of the entire body and there were points there that corresponded to the acupuncture points of the entire body. His conclusions were studied with great interest in China and led to the development of Auricular Acupuncture.
The concept was accepted so readily in China by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine because the whole idea was both very much in line with the underlying principles and was also not new. There are several other such concepts. They are called holographic theories. Holographic theories suggest that the entire body can be represented in miniature within other parts of the body.
In Japan, there is scalp acupuncture. In Korea, there is hand acupuncture. The fractal theories that are being developed in the field of self acupuncture are similar in concept as well. Therefore, the use of ear acupuncture for weight loss is not a complete surprise. It is one of the conditions that seem to respond well to auricular acupuncture. Of course, weight loss would respond well to a complete normal body acupuncture treatment plan that included herbal supplements, diet, and exercise as well.
Ear acupuncture is often selected for weight loss, not because it is the only way to do it, but that it is an easier method. It has also been proven to be especially effective, at least in the correction of certain factors that lead to overeating. It is another weapon in the arsenal of the Eastern practitioner to deal with this increasingly common disharmony. There are certainly health risks to obesity, and the psychological implications are important to a sense of well being also.
The concept has led to one disturbing trend. This is the idea of a kind of quick fix self acupuncture for weight loss. It often involves inserting a staple into a certain part of the ear and leaving it there until the desired weight loss is achieved. This can be done by yourself or at a ?weight loss? clinic. The only problem is that this method rarely, if ever, works and can be dangerous. There is the risk of infection and damage to the cartilage of the ear. A proper Traditional Chinese Medicine approach to weight loss would consider the whole person and suggest a treatment that might involve a bit of effort and sacrifice, but would be almost sure to restore a healthy body. There are no quick fixes in acupuncture, not even in the ear.
