SALLY CHURCHWARD opens her ears to a treatment that may seem strange but is relaxing and therapeutic...

ALTHOUGH shoving a lighted candle in your ear sounds like the kind of thing that you were strictly instructed not to do as a child, it is, in fact, a therapeutic treatment, and a very relaxing one at that.

Obviously the candles in question didn't come from a ten-pack sold in the corner shop - these are special Hopi ear candles and the treatment was being administered by trained therapist Marie-Ange Gonzalez.

Also known as thermal auricular therapy, the treatment has developed from the therapies and rituals of Asian and native North American people.

The candles take their name from the Hopi native North Americans who introduced their use to Europe.

The treatment is recommended to help with such problems as earache, stress, headaches, wax and glue ear, mild hearing loss, tinnitus and other ear, nose and throat problems.

Marie-Ange began my session by taking a case history and examining inside my ears to check for swelling, damage to the eardrum, etc.

The treatment itself was wonderfully relaxing and quite pampering and - let's face it - how often do your ears get that much attention?

Marie-Ange began by lighting the candle, which was a hollow tube infused with honey and herbs including sage, St John's wort and camomile, which are believed to have medicinal and healing properties.

She then gently placed the candle in my ear, pushing it quite far in and gently wiggling it so as to create a seal.

Because the candle is hollow, it creates a chimney effect, gently sucking out debris such as old make-up or shaving foam, as well as wax.

All the nasties which come out of the ear are caught in a filter and you can look at them later if you want to!

It takes about 12 minutes for the candle to burn down on each ear.

I could hear lots of popping and crackling sounds but it was quite relaxing, as other sounds were drowned out and I just had to lie there.

After both ears had been treated, Marie-Ange gave me an acupressure massage on my ears, as well as massaging my sinuses and lymphatic areas on my neck and behind my jaw, to prolong the effects of the treatment.

She explained that although people tend to be most interested in what gets sucked out of their ears during the treatment, the therapy is the beginning of a process, giving your ears and lymph system a boost and encouraging it to function properly and cleanse itself.

Apparently some people have lumps of wax spontaneously popping out of their ears! Oh well, better out than in.

Many of Marie-Ange's clients visit her to deal with an existing problem, such as poor hearing or migraines, but she says it is also a useful way to give your system a boost, particularly at this time of year when there has been a change in weather and there are lots of colds going round.

I certainly emerged from my treatment feeling relaxed, refreshed and at least a little bit more prepared to face the winter.

FACT FILE:

Hopi ear candles are used to treat a range of ailments including: earache, wax and glue ear, sinusitis, rhinitis, colds and flu, ear and throat

infections, tonsillitis, mild hearing loss and tinnitus.

The candles draw impurities to the surface and create a pressure flow which causes the herbal vapours to circulate inside the ear.

The treatment helps soothe irritation and inflammation, stimulate blood circulation and strengthen the immune system and the lymphatic system.

Treatment lasts around half an hour and costs £25.

Marie-Ange sees clients at The Grove Natural Therapy Centre in Highfield and Ringwood Natural Health Clinic in Ringwood, Neal's Yard Remedies in Salisbury and at her home in Wilton. For all venues, contact Marie-Ange on 01722 744551.