Ear Acupuncture for Acute Sore Throat.

Inclusion: * Male and female subjects (DoD beneficiaries), 18 years or older, with upper respiratory complaints and their primary symptom being acute sore throat. * Minimum pain score of 5 points on an 11 point scale (0-10 with 10 being the worst pain) Exclusion: * History of significant gastrointestinal bleed * Previous documented history of stage 2 kidney disease or worse * Known Pregnancy * History of gastric bypass surgery * Known Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) * Throat, mouth or esophageal cancer * Chronic oral steroids use * Absence of one or more ears * Active cellulitis of ear * Ear anatomy precluding identification of acupuncture landmarks * Non-English speaking * Use of Hearing Aids that preclude the use of ear acupuncture * Allergy to Ibuprofen