| Auricular acupuncture, or ear acupuncture, or auriculotherapy, or auriculomedicine, or auricular diagnosis and treatment, is a therapy in the subject of acupuncture-moxibuston, in which the auricle is selected to be stimulated to regulate the whole body. It has excellent clinical effect and extensive scope of clinical application. From the perspectives of the localizations of auricular acupuncture points (AAPs), there are two systems of auricular acupuncture points, including Chinese and European systems of AAPs. Since the discovery of the inverted fetus reflexed on the auricle by the French physician, Paul Nogier, was introduced into China, Chinese acupuncturists carried out deep and extensive the study of auricular acupuncture. Due to possible great differences in aspects of culture and thinking model, auricular acupuncture goes toward different directions during research and application, and gradually develops into their individual sytems, the Chinese system and European system of AAPs. In France, the application of AAPs is most based on Nogier’s original findings, the theory of three phases. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the theory of three phases was little mentioned. Instead, auricular therapy is integrated into Bahr’s new findings, the theory of focus, making auriculotherapy into auriculomedicine. This paper, only Bahr’s system of auriclomedicine is studied. For developing standard of AAPs, Chinese national standard, Nomenclature and location of AAPs, was also published in 2008. For developing international standards, an international standard of AAPs mainly according to the Chinese national standard, Nomenclature and location of AAPs was published in 2013 in the World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibstion (WJAM). In order to promote the work of international standardization of AAPs, to help the experts, doctors, researchers in the field of AAPs understand each other know the two systems, based on the idea of seeking common ground while reserving differences, this paper was to undergo the comparative study of the two systems.Objectives:To calrify the similarities and disparities of Chinese system of auricular acupuncture points and European auriculotherapy according to Nogier and Bahr from perspectives of localization and procedure of diagnosis and treatment, and to compare the rationality of the localizations of the two heart ear-reflexed points.Methods:Based on the knowledge of the Chinese and European systems of auricular acupuncture points (AAPs), the similarities and disparities of the two systems were clarified through comparison of the latest published international standard of auricular acupuncture points, mainly according to the Chinese national 2008 standard, Nomenclature and Location of Auricular Acupuncture Points(AAPs), by the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies and the three books on the European auriculotherapy (Chinese, English and German editions of "A Precise Pocket Atlas Based on the works of Nogier/Bahr"). Through theory study and clinical practice, the author was sent to study with Dr. Wirz-Ridolfi, Medi-China center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Reinach, Switzerland, the theory and clinical practice of European auriculotherapy according to Nogier/Bahr. Through a pilot study of the comparison of the positive reaction rates of the two heart ear reflexed points on Chinese and Swiss patients with angina pectoris due to coronary heart disease, the rationality of the localizations of the two heart ear reflexed points was compared.Results:1. The similarities of Chinese system of AAPs and European system of auriculomedicine according to Nogier/Bahr from perspective of localization Between the standard of the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies and European system of auriculotherapy accoding to Nogier/Bahr, there were twenty-four AAPs sharing the same name and similar locations, and other twenty-five subzones or points were recommended to share the auricular name with different anatomical names with different reflexed parts of the body and different therapeutical effects.2. The disparities of Chinese system of AAPs and European system of auriculomedicine according to Nogier/Bahr from perspectives of procedure of diagnosis and treatment, and localizationFrom perspectives of the procedure of diagnosis and treatment and location of AAPs, there are great disparities between the two systems. Inspection, palpation and electrical examination and pattern identification in traditional Chinese medicine were integrated together during diagnosis and treatment of Chinese auricular acupuncture. The elimination of focus and feeling the vascular autonomic signal were combined together during European auriculotherapy/auriculotmedicine.For the localizations of AAPs, the localizations of the lower limb, the middle and lower segment of the spine, heart, respiratory, gastrointestinal sytem (including rectum and anus), spleen, tonsil, urogenital system (including kidney, uterus, ovary/testis, penis/clitoris), endorcrine system (adrenal gland), head region (including jaw, teeth, nose and ear) and brain stem.3. A pilot study of the comparative study on the localizations of the two heart ear-reflexed points on Chinese and Swiss patients with angina pectoris due to coronary heart diseaseFrom perspectives of whitening discoloration, the comparative study on the localization of the two heart ear-reflexed points on Chinese patients with angina pectoris due to coronary heart disease (in the text it is called "the former study"), and the comparative study on the localization of the two heart ear-reflexed points on Swiss patients with angina pectoris due to coronary heart disease (in the text it is called "the latter study") demonstrated that the whitening discoloration rate of heart ear-reflexed point No.1 (in the concha) was much more higher than the other heart ear-reflexed point No.2 (on the antihelix). The former study showed that there was no significant difference between the heart ear-reflexed point No.1 (or No.2) on the left and the right auricle. However, the latter study showed the whitening discoloration of the heart ear-reflexed point No.1 (or No.2) on the left auricle was more serious than on the right auricle.From perspectives of edema during palpation, the former study showed that there was a high positive reaction rate, on the heart ear-reflexed point No.1. However, the former study demonstrated that there was no edema during palpation on the heart ear-reflexed point No.2. The edema rate of the heart ear-reflexed point No.1 on the left auricle of the Chinese patients during acute attack or perioperative period of angina pectoris was 94.2%, and 78.8% on the heart ear-reflexed point No.1 of the right auricle. The latter study demonstrated that there was a high positive reaction rate on the heart ear reflexed point No.1. Similar to the former study, the latter study also demonstrated that there was no edema during palpation on the heart ear-reflexed point No.2. The edema rate of the heart ear-reflexed point No.l on the left auricle of the Chinese patients during acute attack or perioperative period of angina pectoris was 93.75% and 78.125% on the heart ear-reflexed point No.1 of the right auricle.From perspectives of cord during palpation, the former study showed that there was a higher positive reaction rate on the heart ear-reflexed point No.1 on the left auricle than on the right auricle. The latter study demonstrated that there was a low positive reaction rate on the heart ear reflexed point No.1, and there was a higher positive reaction rate on the heart ear-reflexed point No.1 on the left auricle than on the right auricle. The latter study also demonstrated that there was no cord during palpation on the heart ear-reflexed point No.2.From perspectives of pain during palpation, the former study showed that there were high positive reaction rates on the heart ear-reflexed point No.1 (or No.2) on the left auricle and on the right auricle. The latter study demonstrated that there were low positive reaction rates on the heart ear reflexed point No.1 or No.2 on the left auricle and on the right auricle.From perspectives of biological electrical value, both the former study and the latter study showed that it was more sentive on the heart ear-reflexed point No.1 than No.2 on the same side of the auricle, and that it was more sentive on the heart ear-reflexed point No.1 (or No.2) on the left auricle than on the right auricle. The former study demonstrated that the heart ear-reflexed point No.1 (or No.2) on the left auricle was more sensitive than the relevant point on the right auricle. However, the latter study concluded that there was no signifiancant difference between the heart ear-reflexed point No.1 (or No.2) on the left auricle and the relevant point on the right auricle.Conclusions:From perspectives of localization and procedure of diagnosis and treatment, there are both similarities and disparities between the Chinese system of AAPs and European auriculotherapy/auriculomedicine. From perspectives of inspection, palpitation and electrical biliogical value, the positive reaction rates of the heart ear-reflexed point in the concha are higher than the heart ear-reflexed point on the antihelix. The heart ear-reflexed point on the left auricle is more sensitive than the relevant point on the right auricle. From perspectives of positive reaction rates of inspection, palpitation and electrical biliogical value, the heart ear-reflexed point in the concha on the left auricle is more rational than other relevant points. |
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