Analysis of Advantages and Disadvantages of the Location Methods of International Auricular Acupuncture Points

The international standardization of auricular acupuncture points (AAPs) is an important basis for auricular therapy or auricular diagnosis and treatment. The study on the international standardization of AAPs has gone through a long process, in which the location method is one of the key research projects. There are different points of view in the field of AAPs among experts from different countries or regions. By only analyzing the nine representative location methods, this paper tried to offer a proper location method to locate AAPs. Through analysis of the pros and cons of each location method, the location method applied in the WFAS international standard of AAPs is thoroughly considered as an appropriate method. It is important to keep the right direction during developing an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) international standard of auricular acupuncture points and to improve the research quality of international standardization for AAPs.