Cherie Blair has had ear acupuncture to relieve stress, but this technique can also be used as a painkiller and to help with weight loss or quitting smoking. MAXINE GORDON reports

SUCH is the power of ear acupuncture that in China it is used as pain relief during surgery. "It's an extremely powerful therapy," insists Sara Gibbons, who runs the Practical Natural Therapy Centre in Harrogate, adding that it can be used to help a wide variety of ailments and problems.

Ear acupuncture - or, to give it its proper name, auriculotherapy - has been given new prominence by Prime Minister's wife Cherie Blair, who was spotted wearing a tiny ear patch at the Labour Party Conference last week.

It is thought that Cherie, a high-flying QC and mother of four, has used auricular acupuncture to combat stress and boost her energy levels.

The therapy was developed in France, but is rooted in the ancient Chinese art of acupuncture, where pressure points relating to specific parts of the body are manipulated to alleviate particular problems. As such, it also shares similarities with the principles of reflexology.

In traditional acupuncture, needles are applied to these points. But in auriculotherapy, tiny seeds or magnetic balls can be applied instead, fixed in place with transparent tape.

"It has the advantage of being easy to apply and can be non-invasive," says Sara.

The other benefit is that the patient can maintain relief for a few days after the initial session by simply applying pressure to the tiny patch on their ear.

There are some 200 points in the ear which correspond with different parts of the body. The points are found, explains Sara, by imagining a baby in an inverted foetal position, with the earlobe representing the head, the concha the internal organs and so on.

Danish practitioner Lizbeth Skormand carried out the first auricular treatments at the centre last month, during a brief visit to Harrogate. She will be returning in November to teach a one-day course in the therapy with a view to organising a complete course next year.

Lizbeth believes the method can be used to treat a wide range of problems.

"The application of ear acupuncture to treat disease has no limits," she says. "Auriculotherapy is very effective in removing pain or balancing any imbalances."

She points out that in Ancient Egypt, women used the method to stop themselves getting pregnant, while in China today, it is used in hospitals to eliminate pain during surgery.

"I know of one case in England where my teacher performed ear acupuncture during surgery in a hospital. The surgeons were impressed," she said.

At the York Clinic for Complementary Medicine, on Tadcaster Road, the method is used primarily to help people quit smoking or lose weight and is seen as an accompaniment to traditional acupuncture rather than a therapy in itself.

Clinic director Hugh MacPherson uses auriculotherapy alongside body acupuncture to treat his patients.

He said Cherie Blair had been treated in the 'shenmen' point of the ear, which is used to combat "anxiety and addiction where there is an emotional component".

"The 'shenmen' is my favourite point," said Hugh. "It means the door to peace and it is a calming point. It can help people who suffer from insomnia or panic attacks and palpitations."

Auriculotherapy, he added, can help people cope with an array of feelings and is particularly beneficial to anyone coping with withdrawal symptoms.

Smokers - or those with other addictions - can often feel agitated when they give up, and this treatment can have a calming and relaxing effect on them, explained Hugh.

But reactions can vary, and smokers can feel angry or irritable when they quit, or even sink into depression. Some develop chesty coughs - and all of these can be helped by acupuncture, said Hugh.

"All sorts of different feelings come out when people quit smoking - that's why people use cigarettes as a crutch," he said.

After first using acupuncture on the patient, the corresponding point on the ear is then treated to give patients extra support during their withdrawal period.

Touching the diagnosed pressure point in the ear should relieve any adverse feelings a person might be having, explains Hugh, who uses fine needles as well as tiny seeds or magnetic balls when practising ear therapy.

The method has been used successfully also to treat people who are struggling with their weight and have emotional issues around eating.

"For people who can't stop eating, we need to find the emotions which are driving them, whether it be depression or frustration," says Hugh. Again, once the problem has been identified, ear patches are provided as an extra support following a session of body acupuncture.

Acupuncturist June Tranmer, who runs The Healing Clinic at Fulford Cross in York, also uses auriculotherapy to treat people with addictions, and also to help ease back and neck problems.

For more information about auriculotherapy, contact the York Clinic for Complementary Medicine on 01904 709688; The Healing Clinic on 01904 679868 and Practical Natural Therapy Centre, Harrogate, on 01423 526116.