The Neuro-Auricular Method for Neck Pain

Overview

The Neuro Auricular Method for Neck Pain introduces clinicians to a neuroscience-informed approach to managing neck pain using auricular therapy. Presented by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association Acupuncture and Dry Needling Division, this course explores how the ear functions as a neurological microsystem that reflects and influences the body’s pain and movement systems.

Participants will learn how auricular therapy can be used as both an assessment and treatment tool, helping clinicians modulate nervous system activity, reduce pain, and enhance the effectiveness of manual therapy and exercise interventions. This course blends scientific evidence, neurophysiology, and practical clinical application, making auricular therapy accessible for rehabilitation professionals seeking new treatment strategies for neck pain and related musculoskeletal conditions.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Explain the neurophysiological principles behind auricular therapy and its role in pain modulation.

2. Describe the ear as a neurological microsystem and understand its relationship to body mapping.

3. Identify auricular points associated with cervical spine dysfunction and neck pain presentations.

4. Apply practical techniques for locating active auricular points, including palpation and visual assessment.

5. Integrate auricular therapy into physiotherapy treatment plans alongside manual therapy and exercise.

6. Understand how auricular stimulation may improve patient outcomes by priming the nervous system for rehabilitation.

Audience

This course is ideal for:

• Physiotherapists interested in acupuncture, dry needling, or neuro-modulation approaches.

• Rehabilitation professionals treating patients with neck pain or complex musculoskeletal conditions.

• Clinicians seeking evidence-informed adjunct treatment options to complement manual therapy and exercise.

• Practitioners interested in integrating neuroscience principles into hands-on clinical care.

Why This Course Matters

Neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints seen in rehabilitation settings and often involves complex neurological and pain processing mechanisms. Traditional treatment approaches may not fully address nervous system contributions to pain and movement dysfunction.

Auricular therapy provides clinicians with a minimally invasive, neuroscience-based strategy that can influence nervous system activity and support pain reduction. Research, including functional MRI studies, demonstrates that stimulation of specific ear points activates corresponding brain regions associated with pain and body representation.

By incorporating auricular therapy into clinical practice, physiotherapists can expand their treatment toolkit while enhancing patient responsiveness to rehabilitation interventions.

Clinical Application: Practical Integration Into Treatment

This course emphasizes clinically applicable strategies that can be implemented in both private practice and multidisciplinary rehabilitation settings.

Participants will learn how to:

• Use auricular therapy to reduce muscle tension, inflammation, and pain sensitivity.

• Incorporate ear assessment as a screening tool for identifying neurological and musculoskeletal dysfunctions.

• Apply simple palpation and observation techniques to locate treatment points without requiring advanced equipment.

• Use auricular therapy to “prime” the nervous system, improving patient response to exercise, manual therapy, and functional training.

• Monitor treatment progress through observable ear morphology and symptom changes.

These techniques allow clinicians to introduce neuro-modulation strategies using tools and skills readily available in most clinical environments.

Scientific and Clinical Foundations

Auricular therapy is grounded in neuroscience and clinical observation. The ear contains a microsystem representing the body in an inverted fetal mapping pattern, with areas corresponding to specific neurological pathways and body regions.

Pain and dysfunction signals from the body project onto corresponding ear points through central nervous system pathways. Stimulating these points can send feedback signals that modulate pain perception, muscle activity, and inflammatory responses.

Functional MRI research supports the anatomical and neurological specificity of auricular therapy, demonstrating matching brain activation when stimulating corresponding ear and body regions. This evidence reinforces auricular therapy as a scientifically supported adjunct to rehabilitation care.

Participant Feedback

⭐ “Great practical course - thank you.”

⭐ “Really great explanation, and glad there was treatment also involved! The information seems very applicable to most treatments and easy to incorporate into practice.”

These testimonials highlight the course’s strong balance of theory and practical treatment strategies, with clinicians reporting high clinical relevance and ease of implementation.

About the Presenter

Dave Maybee, RMT, Academic Director & Lead Instructor - Canadian Institute of Auricular Medicine www.integrateauricular.ca

Dave expertly conveys his ever-growing passion in Auricular Medicine — as based on the work of medical doctors, Paul Nogier, Frank Bahr, Beate Strittmatter and other leading physicians and researchers in the field — through his deep knowledge of the material. He engages students with clinical examples, demonstrations and Q&A to accommodate and spark diverse interests while delivering clear objectives and learning outcomes. 

In addition to teaching, Dave integrates cranial sacral therapy and myofascial release with auricular medicine to treat unresolved chronic pain and other issues found in therapy-resistant patients (hard to treat patients who have “tried everything”).