Ear acupuncture is a method of diagnosing and treating diseases by observing (or detecting) and stimulating specific areas of the ear (i.e. ear acupoints). Among various acupuncture and moxibustion methods in acupuncture and moxibustion medicine, ear acupuncture is a unique therapy.
The ear acupuncture method has its own stimulation area, although concentrated on small auricles, the number of ear acupoints is second only to body acupoints. Especially, it also has the advantages of integrating diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and health care. The application of certain areas of the ear for diagnosis and treatment of diseases originated in ancient China, but it was in modern times that significant progress was truly made and a relatively complete therapy was formed. Among them, Dr. P. Nogier from France published his ear acupoint map in the mid-1950s, which played an important role in promoting the development of ear acupuncture.
The ear is a part of the outer ear, and the ear acupoints are specific diagnostic and therapeutic points on the ear. In order to facilitate readers to familiarize themselves with the distribution of ear acupoints, a brief introduction to the main surface anatomical structure of the ear is as follows.
Distribution in front of the ear
(1) Ear wheel: The part of the edge of the earlobe that curls forward.
(2) Ear wheel foot: A transverse protrusion extending from the front upper end of the ear wheel into the ear cavity.
(3) Auricular nodule: A slightly thickened small nodule located above the outer surface of the earlobe.
(4) Ear end: The end of the ear at the intersection with the earlobe.
(5) Ear wheel: The parallel raised part on the inner edge of the earlobe that is opposite to the ear wheel and has a fork on it.
(6) Upper and lower legs of the ear wheel: refer to the upper and lower legs of the fork at the upper end of the ear wheel, respectively.
(7) Triangular recess: A triangular recess formed by the upper and lower legs of the ear wheel.
(8) Ear boat: The concave groove between the ear wheel and the opposite ear wheel.
(9) Ear screen: A petal shaped protrusion on the outer front edge of the earlobe.
(10) Opposed earlobe: The upper part of the earlobe, the raised part opposite the earlobe.
(1l) On screen notch: The depression between the upper edge of the earscreen and the foot of the ear wheel.
(12) Screen notch: The depression between the earscreen and the opposite earscreen.
(13) Wheel screen notch: The depression between the ear wheel and the ear screen.
(l4) Ear nail: A recess formed by the ear shield, curved ear wheel body, and the lower foot edge of the ear wheel. Among them, the part above the ear wheel foot is called the ear nail boat, and the part below is called the ear nail cavity.
(l5) Earlobe: The cartilage free skin lobe at the bottom of the earlobe.
(16) External auditory meatus: A hole in the ear nail cavity that is covered by the eardrum.
The dorsal distribution of the earlobe
(1) Ear wheel back: Due to the forward curling of the ear wheel, this side is mostly facing forward, also known as the outer side of the ear wheel.
(2) Protrusion behind the ear boat: On the back of the ear boat.
(3) Rear groove of the pair of earrings: The concave groove on the back corresponding to the pair of earrings.
(4) Posterior protrusion of the triangular fossa: The posterior protrusion of the triangular fossa.
◆ Main ear points
So far, hundreds of ear acupoints have been discovered, and after repeated screening and verification, 91 have been recognized by countries around the world.
Here we will only introduce the 40 most commonly used ear acupoints in clinical practice.
The distribution of ear acupoints, especially in front of the earbuds, has a certain regularity, just like a fetus with its head facing down and buttocks facing up. That is to say, the ear acupoints corresponding to the head and face are distributed in the eardrums and earlobes;
Corresponding to the distribution of the upper limbs in the ear canal; Corresponding to the distribution of the trunk in the opposite ear lobe; Corresponding to the lower limbs and buttocks, distributed on the upper and lower feet of the opposite ear wheel