Many people are familiar with reflexology as it relates to the hands and the feet. Ear reflexology, however, is less well-known. Just as with reflexology for the hands and feet, ear reflexology is a health and wellness practice based on the belief that there are pressure points in the ear that correspond to other areas of the body.
In Western medicine, ear reflexology is considered to be an alternative therapy, a kind of treatment that can be used in conjunction with Western treatments. Some even consider it to be pseudoscience. This is not true in the East. In Eastern medical practices, particularly traditional Chinese medicine, all forms of reflexology are considered to be valid and effective methods for curing ailments and alleviating pain.
In fact, the alleviation of pain is one of the key uses of this kind of treatment. It is also used to help to balance the hormones, lower blood pressure, and help to clear away infections in different parts of the body. In traditional Chinese medicine, the ears are associated with the internal organs that they most closely resemble. Those organs are the kidneys. For this reason, reflexology that is applied to the ears very often has to do with the function of the kidneys and bodily functions that rely on or impact these organs.
In order to experience ear reflexology, one may go to a trained reflexologist who is trained and experienced in the treatment. The treatment should include a consultation during which ailments and complaints are reported to the reflexologist and those issues are addressed using the traditional pressure point techniques. Depending on the ailment and the severity of the patient's problems, multiple sessions may be required for a complete recovery. Also, it is common for a reflexologist to combine ear reflexology with pressure point stimulation on the hands and feet.
While reflexology charts are quite easy to find in books and on the Internet, properly administering pressure to the related points on the ear requires technique and training. There are a number of books and articles with instructions for novices on how to administer ear reflexology. Making use of these resources may be useful for people who live in an area that does not have any practitioners of this form of therapy. They may also be useful for people who cannot afford to pay for reflexology treatments, which are not usually covered by health insurance plans.