The therapeutic efficacy of somatic acupuncture is not increased by auriculotherapy: a randomised, blind control study in cervical myofascial pain.

Auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture) is a therapeutic technique in which points on the auricle are stimulated with needles. Usually it is combined with somatic acupuncture because of possible synergy, although the efficacy of this pairing has neither been confirmed nor disproved. The aim of this study was to verify: (1) if somatic acupuncture can reduce myofascial cervical pain; (2) if concomitant auriculotherapy improves the efficacy of somatic acupuncture.