VooDoo in the EAR?

Ear candling.

Definition

1. An ear candle is a narrow, hollow cone made of unbleached muslin. It is submersed in beeswax or paraffin to coat its exterior and allowed to set. The person applying the treatment inserts the tip of the cone into the ear of the patient. The top of the cone is lit and allowed to melt partially while it remains inserted. Ear candling is also known as auricular candling or coning.

Principles
2. The principle of candling is that the warmth of the melting wax creates suction that will draw earwax and impurities from the ear canal. It is believed to create a gentle vacuum that provides health benefits through the extraction of debris. Some believe that candling removes toxins in the facial sinuses and the brain.

Uses
3. Practitioners of alternative medicine who embrace the practice claim that it has long been used as a cure for many ailments. They believe it was used to cure earaches and infections as well as sinus-related distress. They believe it will relieve pressure and vertigo and improve hearing. Further claims are that it improves lymphatic function or even purifies the mind, opens spiritual capacity and improves overall health.

Origins
4. Users of ear candling believe the origins of the practice are rooted in ancient cultures of China, the Middle East, the Himalayas and the pre-Colombian Americas. New Age proponents suggest origins in the fabled "lost" continent of Atlantis. Others trace candling to the steppes of Siberia. One theory is that candling started specifically with the Hopi people of the western United States. These claims of the history of candling can be neither proved nor refuted with certainty. The Hopi, however, deny any tradition of ear candling.

Controversy
5. The modern public health community generally agrees that ear candling has not been proven to provide any medical benefits. They have warned against its use on several counts. Earwax is not an impurity but rather provides protection for the ear canal. The Canadian government claimed that its tests on candling disprove the theory of suction or vacuum by candling. The dangers of ear candling were seen to be risk of fire, burns from flame or hot wax on skin


Read more: History of Candling | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6317145_history-candling.html#ixzz17ObNhWHF