If you’re familiar with acupuncture, then you know that it involves thin needles being inserted into your body. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “Acupuncture points are believed to stimulate the central nervous system. This, in turn, releases chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These biochemical changes may stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional well-being.”
Obviously, this practice isn’t suitable for everyone. First and foremost, you must consult your doctor. Also, just the thought of being poked and prodded can already make some people squirmy and uncomfortable—and that’s totally okay.
Luckily, there are non-invasive alternatives to acupuncture that can yield similar results. One good example is ear seeding, which is a form of auriculotherapy. To know more about this method, we reached out to naturopath and general family practitioner Dr. Yelena Deshko. Keep reading as she explains what ear seeding is and how it actually works.
What You Need To Know About Ear Seeding
According to Dr. Deshko, “Auriculotherapy, also called auricular acupoint pressure or ear stimulation, is a method of diagnosing and treating diseases by stimulation of specific acupoints on the external ear. In Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), [it] is thought that different ear regions correspond to particular areas of the body, therefore stimulating certain points in the ear would produce a response in various body areas and systems.”
She adds, “Prior to placing the ear seeds, the TCM practitioner would typically conduct a health consultation, discussing the various symptoms the patient is experiencing. The practitioner would then conduct a physical examination likely consisting of reading the patient’s pulse and examining their tongue. The patient’s symptoms as well as the pulse and tongue examination allow the practitioner to formulate a Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis.”
Dr. Deshko continues, “Based on the diagnosis, certain points in the ear would be selected. The practitioner would then apply the ear seeds which have a an adhesive backing to stay in the ear for up to a week until they naturally fall off.”
She notes, “Ear seeds can be made of various materials which are thought to have different properties and would be selected based on the practitioners desired effect. Some examples include gold, silver, magnetic, or plant seeds. The patient would also be instructed to stimulate the ear seeds several times per day for best effect.”
To conclude, Dr. Deshko mentions that “many scientific studies corroborate the benefits of auriculotherapy for a multitude of conditions including pain, insomnia, stress, and obesity.” She explains, “While the practice of ear seeding is less studied than the practice of auricular acupuncture, some preliminary studies show benefits of ear seeding for stress as well as cholesterol levels in obese teens. Another study indicated that auricular therapy with ear seeds was beneficial for patients suffering from insomnia. Yet another study showed that application and stimulation of ear seeds reduced the pain of labour and time of active labour in women.”
