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Ear Candling/Thermotherapy
My daughter developed a deafness, which her doctors blamed on pollution allergies. She had the fluid drained from behind the eardrum, which worked for a while - but the problem is now returning. I have heard about something called Candling that I thought might help her. Do you know anything about this procedure and can you suggest where she could have it done by someone trained in the technique?
The technique you have heard of was originally used by the Hopi Indians and their shamanic healers to bring themselves into a state of balance in preparation for meditation. (Yogis do the same using a technique of alternate nostril breathing.) In the West, we call it Thermotherapy for the head and ears.
You are right to seek a qualified practitioner because a naked flame is involved but while this technique has been shown to help treat tinnitus and other auricular conditions, including the sporadic deafness your daughter is suffering, the evidence is anecdotal and the technique will not work for everyone.
Ann Rogers, a reflexologist and tutor at the South Trafford College in Altringham, Cheshire, teaches students on the holistic and complementary therapy courses to do this technique using Hopi ear candles. She explains that it works on a vibrational and energetic level by gently drawing out blockages in the ear canal and rebalancing the fluids of the inner ear and says it is a favourite treatment method of hers because it is so gentle and non-invasive.
I have not tried thermotherapy but am told it is very soothing. It is said to help relieve problems such as rhinitis, sinusitis, headaches, migraines, and ringing in the ears but do not let anyone light candles in your ears if you have suffered a perforated ear drum, acute ear infection or have an allergy to any of the ingredients, which include sage and chamomile, in the candles.
Caution: There is a potential risk of hot wax entering the ear canal during ear candling. Be sure that you are fully prepared and informed of the safest method of ear candling and the potential dangers before attempting this yourself.
*For details of complementary therapy courses, including training in thermotherapy, call the South Trafford College on 0161-952 4729. You mail order Hopi candles from the Revital health shop chain (0800-252 875), which also keeps a nationwide list of qualified thermotherapy practitioners.