GROUP EAR ACUPUNCTURE

GROUP EAR ACUPUNCTURE
In 1990, the Director General of the World Health Organization proclaimed to an international gathering that - "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."

Auricular Acupuncture or ear acupuncture is done in a group setting and involves stimulation of energetic points on the external ear. The outer ear acts like a switchboard that sends impulses to the brain, which stimulates the release of endorphins, lowers stress and induces relaxation.

An acupuncturist will insert 5 very small needles in each ear, which will be retained for 60 minutes while you sit in a relaxed atmosphere. During this time you may fall asleep, experience a meditative state or just feel calm and relaxed.

HOW EAR ACUPUNCTURE WORKS

There is still a great deal to learn about how acupuncture achieves its therapeutic effect. Some people dismiss acupuncture's therapeutic action as being due to a placebo effect - the client believes it will work and so it works. This is too simplistic because acupuncture has been successfully used to treat animals that are not affected by the placebo response. Even the USA's conservative National Institutes of Health has reviewed existing acupuncture studies and concluded that people who receive acupuncture actually undergo physiological and biochemical changes that are not just produced by a placebo response. The effects of acupuncture have been shown to be brought about through the nervous system. The external ear itself is richly supplied by nerve endings which are linked to the brain and other organs via the central nervous system and so stimulation of these nerve endings is thought to influence the relevant organ being stimulated. Every organ has a nerve supply which can either speed up or slow down the functions of that particular organ, and due to a variety of factors like chronic stress, these organs can become over stimulated or under stimulated. It is known that acupuncture causes the release of much potent, morphine like, pain relieving chemicals called endorphins, which are drop for drop more powerful than morphine, and the neurotransmitter serotonin which affects mood.

Perhaps the best explanation to date for how acupuncture works is by Fara Begum-Beig, formerly a biochemist who worked at the Medical Research Council's Neuroendocrinology Unit at Newcastle-upon Tyne, who suggested the following explanation for the effects of reflexology but which is equally applicable to acupuncture:

"From the work I did in the field of neuroactive chemicals and their effects on the brain, I feel it is also possible that pressing reflex points stimulates the subcutaneous nerve endings which then cause the brain to release certain pain and mood mediating chemicals. These chemicals include endorphins, enkephalins, and neuroactive amino acids such as glycine, glutamine, and GABA, all of which act upon different tissues and parts of the body and affect its response to stress and discomfort."

In the 1970’s these 5 points known as the NADA protocol was developed to help addicts with their recovery, dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression, irritability and cravings. Since then NADA protocol has been found effective for a wide range of clients.  Acupuncturist Without Borders has used it extensively in treating trauma during and after Katrina and has begun a national military outreach to veterans.

Group acupuncture is simple and effective.  There is no appointment necessary, no intake, no need to talk of past experiences. Individuals simply come in and experience the benefits of the acupuncture. 

Auricular Acupuncture Treats:             

Stress       
Cravings        
Anxiety
Depression    
Insomnia 
PTSD  
Smoking Cessation
Compassion Fatigue
 

Receiving Acupuncture in a Group Setting Enhances the Experience

The group setting improves the experience of each individual. When a group of people gather together they can create a field of energy that can empower the individual. If you have ever attended a major sporting event, you may have experienced the electricity that runs through the crowd during the events of the game. Or if you have been involved in any meditation or prayer group you may have felt a collective energy as well as your own.  In group acupuncture you can feel the group's support in a nonverbal, subtle level.