Auricular pressure in the treatment of gallstones: A randomized, clinical trial of traditional chinese medicine

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Abstract
Gallstones, which were diagnosed in 365 patients on the basis of symptoms, signs, ultrasound scanning and cholecystography were treated by compression of specific auricular points. The patients were predominantly women (76%) from 19 to 78 years of age. The stones were in the gallbladder in 326, in intrahepatic ducts in 20, in the common bile duct in 6 and at multiple sites in 14. An adhesive plaster with a seed of Semen vaccariae (an oblate spheroid 2 mm in diameter) fixed at its center was placed over the main auricular points which include the liver, gallbladder, bile duct and duodenum. The liver and gallbladder have corresponding points over the posterior surface of the ears, and compression of both the anterior and posterior points at the same time enhances the effect. Correct positioning over these points is of primary importance. If the individual ear varies in shape, then corresponding points can be taken. These seeds are chosen because of their hardness. Pressure was applied for 20 min thrice a day postprandially by the patients themselves, as shown by the doctor at the start, to one ear every other day and to the other ear on alternate days for 30 days. The seeds were changed by the physician every 3 days. All stools were collected by the patients and examined for expelled stones by the doctors. One hundred forty-four stone specimens were assayed for their cholesterol and bilirubin content, and 16 were examined by infra-red spectrophotography and scanning electron microscopy. After treatment, gallstones were demonstrated in the stool of 299 treated patients (82%) but in only 7 of the 47 controls cholagogue-treated patients (9%). These differences from the treated patients are highly significant statistically (p < 0.01). Reexamination with ultrasonography (except for 25 who were lost to follow-up)revealed the stones to be absent in 16 patients (5%), reduced in number to about half in 72 (20%). In 127, the number rermained the same (35%) and in 69, the number of gallstone increased (19%). Stones were expelled more frequently from the common duct than from the gallbadder (p < 0.05). Multiple stones were expelled from the gallblader more frequently than single stones, and small stones ( 1.0 cm. The explusion rate could be improved by prologing the treatment beyond 30 days.

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