Ear and Scalp Acupuncture

In 2022 and 2023, I completed two CPD courses focusing on two specific areas of acupuncture: ear and scalp.  Both of these can enhance a standard acupuncture treatment in different ways.  Regarding ear acupuncture, this works on the principle that the ear is a microsystem of points that relate to different parts and functions of the body.  I trained at CICM, Reading and under John Tindall at the Yuan Centre, London, and this included training in the NADA protocol, which is a set of five points that can be used for a variety of applications, both physical and psychological.  NADA started to be used in addiction clinics in the USA in the 1970s and is now practised worldwide, including by Acupuncturists Without Borders for communities affected by trauma in disaster situations.  I also sometimes choose to apply ear seeds or magnets to certain ear points that patients can wear in their ears for up to about five days, which they can press/squeeze themselves to stimulate the points. Scalp acupuncture is slightly different to the use of the traditional acupuncture points found on the head, which I also use.  Needles are applied shallowly into the soft tissues of the scalp over specific areas of the brain, which are chosen taking into account the function of that brain area underneath, e.g. motor or sensory.  I trained under Professor T. J. Wang, who is a leading expert on this subject.