Multidisciplinary and Holistic Care Approaches

MHC-04 - Integrative Medicine: Stacking Breath & Ear Acupressure for Nervous System Regulation

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

9:45 AM - 10:35 AM PDT

Co-Presenter(s)

Mai Huong T. Ho-Tran, PT DPT Fellow of Pain Science, Board Certified in Applied Leadership

Physical Therapist Clinical Specialist
Kaiser Permanente
UCSF Graduate Program in PT, Evidence in Motion
San Jose, California
Michael M. Salas, MD

Chief, Pain Medicine Service
VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System
UNLV School of Medicine
North Las Vegas, Nevada
Trevor Noguiera, MD

Staff Physician
VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System
Las Vegas, Nevada

Persistent pain care increasingly requires strategies that influence central pain processing while minimizing pharmacologic burden. This session reviews evidence‑based complementary approaches that combine auricular therapy, breath regulation, and mindful movement to support autonomic regulation and pain modulation. Faculty will discuss the neurophysiologic rationale, current evidence, and practical integration of these strategies within outpatient pain practice. Participants will leave with clinically applicable tools that can be incorporated into multidisciplinary pain care settings.

Learning Objectives:

Explain the neurophysiologic rationale for combining auricular therapy, breath regulation, and mindful movement in pain management.
Describe current evidence supporting auricular acupuncture and auricular acupressure and demonstrate as scalable tools in outpatient pain practice.
Demonstrate practical methods for integrating diaphragmatic breathing and mindful movement alongside auricular interventions.
Identify workflow strategies for implementing complementary pain approaches within multidisciplinary outpatient care teams.