The use of retractile lancing devices used in rapid tests as a comfortable alternative for bloodletting in auriculotherapy: an experience report

Abstract

Auriculotherapy is a therapeutic method derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine, which consists of the stimulation of the auricular pavilion, which can be performed by means of the application of needles, spheres, magnets, heat, laser or bleeding. Bleeding has the property of, according to the view of Traditional Chinese Medicine, remove excess heat, stagnation of energy and treat various symptoms and conditions. Traditional methods of bleeding are usually painful and arouse apprehension in some patients. The objective of this paper is to describe the experience of a professional while testing the possibility of using retractile lancets to stimulate ear acupoints and verify if they could be used comfortably and e?ectively in their objective, which is to cause bleeding of the desired points. Both in the routine of the author and in a Training in Auriculotherapy, in which this use was widely disseminated, it was noticed that there was comfort during the applications and that this can be a viable mean of stimulation of the auricular pavilion.