On Ears and Head

Abstract

The original empirical conjecture of auricular acupuncture (AA) consists of a claim that the entire human body is represented in a certain way on the auricle (eg, in the form of an inverted fetus, see figure 1A), and that the pathology of human organs leads to specific changes at these respective areas on the auricle. It is claimed that these changes can be identified as the areas with skin discolourations, which are tender on palpation. Moreover, the stimulation of these auricular areas, which are supposed to somehow be connected to the organ with ‘pathology’, is believed to improve the functioning of the impaired organ or relieve the related pain.1 The representation of the human body on the auricle is often called ‘somatotopic’, analogous to motor and sensory somatotops of precentral and postcentral gyri of the cortex, as described by Penfield and Rasmussen on the basis of experimental research.2 Interestingly, randomised clinical trials on the efficacy of AA have demonstrated that stimulation of the areas of auricle according to the AA empirical conjecture was effective as complementary treatment for a variety of pain syndromes and preoperative anxiety.3,–,5 However, no neuroanatomical pathways are known to connect the ‘diseased’ organs with the external auricle so that the observed phenomena cannot be explained by the underlying anatomy. Figure 1 (A) The empirical conjecture of auricular acupuncture claims that the entire human body is represented on the auricle in the form of an inverted fetus. (B) Innervation pattern of external auricle. Concha and triangular fossa of the pinna are innervated by the branches of trigeminal and vagal nerves, whereas the peripheral regions of the auricle—helix and scapha—receive their nerve supply …