Cryo-auriculotherapy

First in Switzerland… Health Center Clinique Lémana introduces needle-free acupuncture.

Auriculotherapy, or auricular acupuncture, is an alternative medicine that was rediscovered and developed in 1951 by Dr. Paul Nogier, a French physician and acupuncturist. In 1987, auriculotherapy was officially recognized by the World Health Organisation.

What is auriculotherapy?

The therapy is based on the direct stimulation of the nervous system by a puncture using acupuncture or semi-permanent needles.

Auriculotherapy is both a diagnostic tool and a therapeutic technique. Indeed, there is a representation of the different parts of the body and organs in the auricle. This study or mapping, also called somatotopy, is now well known. The ear is therefore both a dashboard on which we can observe and detect the various points that are out of order and a control zone allowing the treatment of these points in order to obtain a therapeutic action.

How effective is auriculotherapy?

The effectiveness of this method has been proven in cases of :

• Pain in the whole body: lumbago, sciatica, shoulder periarthritis, neck pain, migraines, arthrosis, neuralgia, including deep cancer pain;
• Manifestations of stress: unhappiness, anxiety, stress, anguish, depression… ;
• Symptoms of constipation ;
• Reduction of sleep disorders;
• Difficulty in quitting smoking or any other addiction.

Contraindications

• Pregnant women;
• Children under 7 years of age;
• People on anticoagulants, who must avoid needles;
• And more generally, whenever medical logic does not allow it.

Cryo-auriculotherapy 

The first clinic in Switzerland to offer needle-free and almost pain-free acupuncture…

Discovered in 2018 by Dr. David Alimi (University of Paris), cryo-auriculotherapy is an innovative technique of cold acupuncture, at the cutting edge of technology.

For better effectiveness, this innovative technique consists of replacing the acupuncture needles with cold (Cryo) and thus immediately freezing the tissues of the point that should be pricked, at a temperature of – 40°C.

“These Cryonic needles allow an auriculotherapy: bloodless, odourless, colourless, almost painless, without risks, etiopathogenic, eliminating the disadvantages of the needles, while preserving all their effectiveness, and authorizing techniques and innovative and more powerful auriculotherapeutic strategies”. Dr. D. Alimi.

Proven results in the following areas:

• Neurology: headaches, pain, neurovegetative dystonia;
• Gynecology: infertility, menopause;
• Urology: prostate hypertrophy, cystitis;
• Gastroenterology: spastic colon, constipation, gastric reflux;
• Psychiatry: depression, phobias;
• Dermatology: psoriasis, eczema, acne;
• Allergology: food and skin allergy;
• Ophthalmology: glaucoma;
• Rheumatology and orthopedics: joint and muscle pain;
• Miscellaneous: stress, relaxation, homeostasis, self-aggressive diseases…

Acupuncture is one of the founding practices of traditional Chinese medicine.

This technique focuses on the root causes of health problems experienced by patients. It has a wide range of uses, from colds and insomnia to depression, stress and hormonal disorders.

It is based on the stimulation of specific points located in different parts of the body using several techniques.

Indications for acupuncture

Its therapeutic indications are very broad; the most frequent being

• Stress, depression, anxiety;
• Pain and migraines;
• Addictions;
• Menopause;
• Infertility;
• Allergies ;
• Digestive disorders ;

Prevention

Acupuncture is for anyone who wishes to regain the energetic balance that may have been lost during illness or trauma.

It is not a substitute for medical or surgical treatment, but can reduce the side effects of certain pharmaceutical treatments.

Although there are no formal contraindications to acupuncture, there are therapeutic areas where the health authorities advise against its use.