Auriculotherapy, auricular neuromodulation, auricular acupuncture: what are the differences?.

Auriculotherapy, a French discovery in the 1950s

Auriculotherapy is a term formed by Dr. Paul Nogier in the 1950s, initially consisting in stimulating the auricle and the concha in order to have a therapeutic action. Paul Nogier's genius was to propose a “mapping”, that is to say a targeted stimulation of the auricle according to the pathology. However, the term “auriculotherapy” has been associated with later developments that are more scientifically questionable, a source of internal dissension and several different schools of thought.

Auricular acupuncture, auriculotherapy with Chinese sauce

Auricular acupuncture is the integration into acupuncture of the first works of Paul Nogier who, let us recall, was initially a doctor and an acupuncturist. The maps used are a bit different from those described initially. However, a working meeting under the aegis of the UN took place in 1990 in Lyon in an attempt to get everyone to agree. To no avail. And that's not about to change. We tell you more on another blog.

Auricular neuromodulation, the best of both worlds

Auricular neuromodulation is an approach based on transauricular vagal stimulation, a non-invasive technique for stimulating the vagus nerve, and auriculotherapy in a neurophysiological perspective, therefore without further developments.

Transauricular vagal stimulation of the vagus nerve is a non-invasive alternative to the stimulation of said nerve that requires the installation of a stimulator, and therefore “invasive”. Why did we get to stimulate this nerve and why in the ear? As is often the case, it is “based on a physiopathological misunderstanding”. A post is dedicated to vagal stimulation.

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