Pressure Probes for Auriculotherapy Diagnosis: Are They Accurate?

Point detection is a pillar for auriculotherapy diagnosis. However, the pressure probes' accuracy is yet to be established.

To assess the accuracy of commercially available pressure probes for auriculotherapy's diagnosis.

Four probes were tested against a semi-analytic bubble level and calibrated precision pressure scale. Forty peaks of pressure from each device were recorded. The raw and the normalized peaks (by probes' length and diameter) were analyzed.

The absolute and the relative trials consistency were considered reliable, but inter-device differences were found for all pairwise comparisons among devices. The ideal preset pressure of 250 g was not achieved by any device, with effect sizes ranging from moderate to huge.

All devices showed higher values compared with 250 g. The device's results disagree compared to each other, impairing the reliability and the diagnosis. Aside from the within-device absolute and relative consistency, the results suggest there is still no gold-standard device to assertively assess the auricular tender points.