One of the most popular stories to appear in Acupuncture Today concerned the use of acupuncture to improve the success rate of test-tube pregnancies, particularly those achieved through in vitro fertilization. The article, which appeared on the front page of the July issue, was of much interest to our readers, especially acupuncturists interested in learning the location and purpose of the ear points used in the original study.
While Acupuncture Today has been unable to reach Dr. Wolfgang Paulus, the lead author of the study, for a clarification, Dr. Dagmar Ehling, a licensed acupuncturist and doctor of Oriental medicine from North Carolina, recently sent us the following e-mail:
"Just wanted to comment on the article published in the July 2002 issue. The reference for the ear points used in that study can be found in the German text Leitfaden Ohrakupunkur by M. Angermair, published by Urban & Fischer in Munich. According to that text, ear point 55 is shenmen; ear point 58 is the uterus point; ear point 22 is the endocrine point, and ear point 34 is 'gray matter' located posterior to the endocrine point. Hope this helps."
Acupuncture Today extends its thanks to Dr. Ehling for helping inform the profession.
