Pin-point precision

It's been five years since Max Asher took up smoking again after quitting once before.

The 43-year-old Cape Girardeau man decided it was time to try kicking the addiction once more after a co-worker just two years older recently had a massive heart attack.

This time around, though, Asher has a new weapon in his arsenal: auriculotherapy.

The treatment, which is basically a form acupuncture to the ear, has become more popular in recent years as a way to not only stop smoking, but also lose weight and manage pain.

The procedure includes a probe that delivers microcurrents to specific points on the outer ear.

The Freedom Center, where Asher had his treatment done, is one of a couple new businesses offering auriculotherapy that have popped up in Cape Girardeau in recent months.

Co-owner Tina Schlosser said she, her husband and father-in-law all went through auriculotherapy and their success prompted her to become trained and open Freedom Center.

The center currently focuses only on smoking withdrawal, but will eventually offer the appetite suppressant therapy as well, said Schlosser, who partnered with Rhonda Ellis to open the business.

"We just felt it was wonderful. My husband and I had tried quitting before cold turkey, with nicotine replacement. Nothing ever seemed to keep us focused. But with this, we never gave it a second thought once we had that last cigarette. Plus, we didn't kill each other through the withdrawal stages."

Dr. Justin Bell, a Jackson chiropractor, is one of a few local health-care professionals who offers auriculotherapy.

According to the Web site of Chiropractic Associates, where Bell works, the stimulation to the ear sends signals through nerves to "light up" areas of the brain. The brain's reaction is a release of chemicals that help aid in addictive conditions. Patients cannot feel the microcurrency.

Bell compares the procedure to the way a computer works.

Image courtesy of Manhattan Physical Therapy & Body Tuning

"The ear is like a keyboard and the brain is a hard drive," he said. "You can use the ear to tell the brain what you want it to do."

Bell said the process essentially tricks the body into believing it is a nonsmoker by treating the chemical addiction. Even after that addiction has been treated, the emotional dependence can continue. Side effects of lighting up after the treatment include light-headedness and dizziness, as though they were smoking their first cigarette, said Bell.

Bell has seen an 87-percent success rate among smokers who have undergone the treatment once. The other 13-percent typically require a second or third treatment, he said.

"It does work. It works very well," said Bell.

When used for weight loss, Bell said his patients have averaged a decrease of about six pounds per week.

Bell recommends going only to an actual physician who is licensed in acupuncture and has been certified in auriculotherapy, because there are potential side effects if the treatment is not done correctly.

Schlosser said she and Ellis underwent 8 hours of training through an auriculotherapy association in Tulsa, Okla.

Their therapy takes about 10 minutes, with an office visit of about 30 minutes for paperwork and discussion.

Asher had his first treatment at the Freedom Center around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. At the time, he had not smoked for two hours and badly wanted a cigarette. Two hours after the treatment, the need had diminished.

cmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128