Protocole de chromothérapie auriculaire pour le traitement du trauma psychique

In PTSD (DSMIV-R, 1994), individuals develop a group of symptoms in the aftermath of a severe emotionally traumatic event.

The cardinal triad of clinical features includes: re-experiencing phenomena (e.g., flashbacks, with can occur spontaneously or in response to reminders of the traumatic event), avoidance (e.g., avoiding situations that remind the individual of the traumatic event) and hyperarousal (e.g. exaggerated startle response). Although the etiology of PTSD is defined in terms of traumatic event, evolving models of pathogenesis take into account the potential interaction between the identified traumatic event (or events), past experiences, and intrinsic individual vulnerabilities. (Rauch, S.L. et al, 2006).

It has been hypothesized that PTSD is characterized by exaggerated amygdale responsivity; abnormal activation and reduced hippocampus volume; the rostral anterior cingulated cortex is hyporesponsive and initial evidence suggest that the dorsal anterior cingulated cortex may be hyperactive (Shin, L.M. &Handwerger, K., 2009).

One important fact is that aversive events are extremely well remembered. The memory enhancement is evidently beneficial for survival, but it may become maladaptative and culminate in mental disease such a posttraumatic stress disorder. (Henckens, M.J.A.G., & cols.,2009).

Researchers found that the memory recovered is not necessarily true in details (Levine, P.A.,1999), though it is the trigger of the symptoms that come in sequence.

According with recent researches, there is good evidence that trauma-focused psychological treatments, e.g. ‘Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)’) are more effective than those that do not focus on the patient trauma memories. (Ehlers, A &cols., 2010).

Neurophysiological findings say that anxiety is closely associated with a functional imbalance between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. (Dilts, R. &cols., 2001).

In EMDR therapy, patients are instructed to follow the therapist´s finger ith their eyes, moving them to left and to right, meanwhile activate a disturbing memory, evoking emotions, body sensations and thoughts associated with it. This bilateral stimulation also may be done tapping on client´s knees and hands, or using alternating sounds, stimulating each side alternately (Lu, D.P. & cols, 2010).

Recent studies have reported that 84 to 100% of single trauma victims no longer maintain the posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis after the equivalent of three 90-minute sessions (Shapiro, 1999).

Auricular Chromotherapy in the treatment of psychological trauma, was created by Dr. Daniel Asis and Dr Federico Zarragoicoechea. With the contribution of Dr. Jorge Boucinhas (Brazil), and Dr. Raphäel Nogier (France). The formulation of this technique was a combination of at least three different areas of knowledge: Psychological trauma, Auriculotherapy and Chromotherapy.

The steps of this procedure began after learning ‘Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)’ in 1997 and after having several years of practice on Auriculotherapy. We proved (using a double blind study), along Dr Gabriel Romeu, that pain relief is possible by bilaterally stimulating several points of the external ear by touch. We observed people with cervical or lumbar pain without irradiation to the limbscould be treated by simulating both ears with soft touches using the fingers. This ‘auricular tapping’ lasted 3 minutes and significantly decreased the reflex corresponding to the area called the ‘line of the psychological conflicts’ (Nogier, R.,1993) which corresponds to the Limbic area. This area will be very sensitive and painful to the touch when the person has emotional trauma. In Auriculotherapy the lobe represents the CNS.

In treatment of EMDR, the palpation of both lobes in people with emotional trauma is painful, being more painful in the left ear when the incident was more than 6-8 months ago. After the session, when the trauma was processed, the intensity of pain in these areas decreased. The alternated touch of the lobes with soft tapping in these people, similar to EMDR, doesn´t show any side effects, even when we see an acceleration of the reprocess.
Chromotherapy, or color therapy is an alternative medicine therapy whose therapists use color and light to balance physical, emotional or mental diseases. The body has different microsystems (feet, hands, cranial area and finger) similar to the external ear, the field of Auriculotherapy.

According to Dr. Boucinhas, disciple of Mandel (1997), it has been shown that the application of a specific color of radiating light to the little finger can alleviate neck pain and release restriction of movement.

The same result was seen when areas of the finger were colored with a yellow pen. Small and weak stimuli with color generating a great response of the organism, via the CNS, are based on the Arndt-Schult law (wich states: weak stimuli activate physiological processes, very strong stimuli inhibit physiological responses) and can be replicated in other microsystems.

Based on this we studied the effect of laser and yellow pen applied to hippocampus, amygdala, and ‘psychic scar’ areas (Nogier, op.cit) in relation to the treatment of emotional trauma and EMDR.

The question guide was: ‘what would happen if we applied a laser light or yellow marker in the same area as stimuli?’ The following step was to ask the patient to keep the image of the trauma, while the point was marked with a yellow fiber pen.

The response was: the image disappeared completely after one minute and at the same time the unpleasant emotions connected to the image also decreased (anguish, sadness). Dr. Frederico Zarragoicoechea replicated the technique with the same response in many patients, adding new observations. Afterward we created the protocol (see below).