Auricular acupuncture treats the ear as a homunculus, with the head represented at the lobe and the internal organs in the concha. Points are located by tenderness, by inspection of the skin, or by electrical resistance, and are treated with short needles, press-tacks or seed pressure.
Its common indications are pain, insomnia, anxiety, withdrawal syndromes and functional disorders, and it has been widely adopted in addiction treatment. The mapping is not derived from classical channel theory and its anatomical basis is debated, but the clinical reports are substantial enough that it is now taught alongside conventional body acupuncture.