Diagnosis of the ear
Ear Acupuncture in practice
Diagnosis of the ear
The ear is an amazing part of the body that holds a wealth of information about an individual’s overall health and well-being.
From the colour and texture of the outer ear to its shape, the ears have the potential to act as a useful diagnostic tool.
By using a range of techniques, such as visual observation, energetic assessment, or manual palpation, you can gain insight into a patient’s health and make more informed diagnoses.
Whether you are practicing Western or Traditional Chinese Medicine, incorporating ear assessment into your diagnostic process can help provide a more holistic and comprehensive picture of a person’s health.
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The overall shape of a person’s ear indicates their underlying constitution and Kidney energy. Observe the overall shape in relation to the person’s head, is it in or out of proportion, set high or low?
The size of the lobe indicates longevity and wisdom.
Ear lobe creases can indicate Heart, or coronary problems. ‘Franks Sign” (1973).
Diagonal Earlobe Crease (Frank’s Sign) for Diagnosis of
Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review of Diagnostic
Test Accuracy Studies (Journal of Clinical Medicine 2021)
Tenderness at an auricular point or area can appear within 12 hours after a health problem occurs.
The area involved may become more sensitive after this event, and this tenderness will generally reduce within seven days after the problem is corrected.
You may see red areas or pale areas over the affected area of the body concerned, e.g. the intestines area may become red in someone who presents with ulcerative colitis, or the Spleen area may be pale in someone who is over worrying a lot and Spleen Qi Xu.
Using your thumb and index finger, the stiffness of the ear and any other irregularities can be felt and detected.
The colour of the ear may reflect the disharmony of the organs according to TCM or the five elements correspondence. However if an ear is dark red, black or grey this indicates a chronic problem particularly in the Kidneys, Heart or Blood circulation.
Look for changes in the colour and quality of the skin. This information will guide you to areas for further investigation.
Raised areas, red marks, flaking skin, or pale areas, e.g. a red mark in the heart area indicating yang activity in this area.
A pale area in the Spleen e.g. a deficiency of Qi and / or Blood in the Spleen area.
A dry ear may indicate a Blood [Xue], Body Fluids [Jin Ye], Heat or a Yin Xu condition.