Ear candling 415674 223614611 2008-07-04T22:04:12Z 67.169.208.172 /* Procedure */ Why is "The Colon Therapists Network" commenting on ear candling and why is there no link or proper site? Removing improperly cited content. [[Image:Ear Candling.jpg|thumb|260px|right|James Mally, [[Naturopathic medicine|N.D.]], ear candling a patient in an experiment to determine its efficacy. <ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070602035618/http://www.abundanthealth.com/art-ec.html Healing Arts Institute - Article: Ear Candling]</ref>]] [[Image:Typical ear candling contents.jpg|thumb|220px|right|Material that appears after ear candling, sometimes alleged to be earwax and toxins, was found to be residue from the candle itself in certain brands of candles.]] '''Ear candling''', also called '''ear coning''' or '''thermal-auricular therapy''', is an [[alternative medicine]] practice claimed to assist the natural clearing of [[earwax]] from a person's ear by lighting one end of a hollow [[candle]] and placing the other end in the [[ear canal]]. According to medical researchers, it is both dangerous and ineffective.<ref name="Seely">{{cite journal | author=Seely, D.R., Quigley, S.M., Langman, A.W. | title=[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8849790&dopt=Abstract Ear candles: Efficacy and safety] | journal=Laryngoscope | year=1996 | pages=1226–1229 | volume=106 | issue=10 | pmid=8849790 | doi=10.1097/00005537-199610000-00010 }}</ref> ==Procedure== One end of a cylinder or cone of waxed cloth is lit, and the other placed into the subject's ear. Usually the subject is lying on one side with the treated ear uppermost and the candle vertical, perhaps stuck through a paper plate or aluminum pie tin to protect against any hot wax or ash falling down the side. However some have the subject sit up, keep the candle nearly horizontal, and watch for dripping wax. Some candles have an internal filter to catch debris. The flame is cut back occasionally with scissors and extinguished between two and four inches from the subject. Its proponents claim that the flame creates negative pressure, drawing wax and debris out of the ear canal, which appears as a dark residue. An ear candling session can last from 15 minutes to 45 minutes, during which time a series of 1 or 2 ear candles may be burned for each ear. The experience is described{{who}} as being unusual, but pleasant and relaxing. ==Criticism== The Spokane Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic conducted a research study in 1996 which concluded that ear candling does not produce negative pressure and was ineffective in removing wax from the ear canal.<ref name="Seely"/> Several studies have shown that ear candles produce the same residue when burnt without ear insertion and that the residue is simply candle wax and soot.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_5_24/ai_67691832 On Ear Cones and Candles]</ref><ref name="straight dope">{{cite web | year = 1995 | url = http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_098.html | title = The Straight Dope: How do "ear candles" work? | accessdate = 21 March | accessyear = 2006 }}</ref><ref name="cbc">[http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/earcandle/index.html CBC article on ear candling injuries]</ref> In October 2007, the [[FDA]] issued an alert identifying Ear Candles (a.k.a., Ear cones and Auricular candles) as "dangerous to health when used in the dosage or manner, or with the frequency or duration, prescribed, recommended, or suggested in the labeling thereof" ... "since the use of a lit candle in the proximity of a person's face would carry a high risk of causing potentially severe skin/hair burns and middle ear damage."<ref name="FDA">{{cite web |url=http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia7701.html |title=DETENTION WITHOUT PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF EAR CANDLES |accessdate=2007-11-17 }}</ref> Prof. [[Edzard Ernst]] has published critically of ear candles noting that "There are no data to suggest that it is effective for any condition. Furthermore, ear candles have been associated with ear injuries. The inescapable conclusion is that ear candles do more harm than good. Their use should be discouraged."<ref>{{cite journal | author=[[Edzard Ernst]] | title=Ear candles: a triumph of ignorance over science | journal=J Laryngol Otol.| year=2004 |volume=118 | issue=1 |pages=1–2 | pmid=14979962 }}</ref> A 2007 paper in the journal [[Canadian Family Physician]] concludes "Ear candling appears to be popular and is heavily advertised with claims that could seem scientific to lay people. However, its claimed mechanism of action has not been verified, no positive clinical effect has been reliably recorded, and it is associated with considerable risk. No evidence suggests that ear candling is an effective treatment for any condition. On this basis, we believe it can do more harm than good and we recommend that GPs discourage its use."<ref>{{cite journal | author=J. Rafferty, MB CHB, A. Tsikoudas, FRCS DLO, and B.C. Davis, FRCS ED | title=Ear candling: Should general practitioners recommend it? | journal=Can Fam Physician| year=2007 | month=12 |volume=53 | issue=12 |pages=2121–2122 | pmid=18077749 | url=http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=18077749}} }}</ref> ==Legal status== In Europe, some ear candles are regulated as medical devices, tested for safety and bear the [[CE mark]] (93/42/EEC).<ref>http://www.mdc-ce.de/cert_md1.htm MDD, the Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC - Introduction</ref> The CE mark is mostly ''self-issued'' by the manufacturer.<ref name="Goldacre">{{cite news | last = Goldacre | first = Ben | title = Waxing sceptical | publisher = [[The Guardian]] | date = 2004-03-04 | url = http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/research/story/0,,1161248,00.html | accessdate = 2007-02-25 }}</ref> While ear candles are widely available in the U.S., selling or importing them ''with medical claims'' is illegal.<ref name="FDA"/> In a report, [[Health Canada]] states ''There is no scientific proof to support claims that ear candling provides medical benefits ... However, there is plenty of proof that ear candling is dangerous''. It says that while some people claim to be selling the candles "for entertainment purposes only", the Canadian government consider that there is no reasonable non-medical use, and hence any sale of the devices is illegal in [[Canada]].<ref name="HealthCanada1">{{cite web |url=http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/med/ear-oreille_e.html |accessdate=2007-11-15 |title=It's your health: Ear Candling |publisher=Health Canada }}</ref> ==Origin== Although manufacturers of ear candles often refer to them as "Hopi" ear candles, there is no such treatment within traditional [[Hopi]] healing practices. Vanessa Charles, public relations officer for the [[Hopi|Hopi Tribal Council]], has stated that ear candling "is not and has never been a practice conducted by the Hopi tribe or the Hopi people".<ref>{{cite news | last = Bromstein | first = Elizabeth | title = Wax on, wax off: Does candling clear canal or burn it? | publisher = NOW Magazine (www.nowtoronto.com) | date = 2005-01-13 | url = http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-01-13/goods_health.php | accessdate = 2007-02-25}}</ref> The Hopi tribe has repeatedly asked Biosun, the manufacturer of 'Hopi Ear Candles' to stop using the Hopi name.<ref>"The Hopi Cultural Preservation Office is not aware of Hopi people ever practicing 'Ear Candling.' Biosun and Revital Ltd. are misrepresenting the name 'Hopi' with their products. This therapy should not be called 'Hopi Ear Candeling.' The history of Ear Candeling should not refer to as being used by the Hopi Tribe. Use of this false information with reference to Hopi should be stopped." http://freespace.virgin.net/ahcare.qua/index5.html</ref> Biosun has not complied with this request and continues to claim that ear candles originated within the Hopi tribe.<ref>"The Hopi, the oldest Pueblo people with great medicinal knowledge and a high degree of spirituality, brought this knowledge to Europe with the professional involvement of BIOSUN." http://www.biosun.com/english/ohrkerzen.htm</ref> ==References== <div class="references-small"> <references/> </div> ==External links== <!--- Please do not add or remove sites from this list without discussing first at the Talk page ---> *[http://healing.about.com/od/earcandling/ig/Ear-Candling/index.htm: Photo Gallery - Ear Candling Session] *[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,47112,00.htm TIME magazine - Ear Candling. Janice Horowitz, June 2000 ] *[http://www.randi.org/jr/02-02-2001.html James Randi on Ear Candling] [[Category:Alternative medicine]] [[Category:Auditory system]] [[de:Hopi-Kerze]] [[nl:Oorkaarsentherapie]] [[sv:Öronljus]] [[zh-yue:耳燭]] [[zh:耳燭]]