A few people have recently asked me about ear seeds. I occasionally give a patient ear seeds at the end of an acupuncture treatment as a way of extending the benefits of the treatment. The seeds are on little sticky bandages and can be pressed in order to stimulate certain acupressure points. I have found that the seeds are only slightly effective on their own, but much more useful after needling the ears.

What are the seeds?

The seeds that I use are vaccaria seeds, or radish seeds. They are small and round and are comfortable when pressed onto the ear. Many types of seeds are available and some of them are made from precious metals or magnets. I tend not to use these on people’s ears because they might cause a reaction, but they can be beneficial in some circumstances. There are even ear seeds with Swarvoski crystals on the outside which don’t have a therapeutic benefit but do look very pretty in the ears!

What do I do with the seed?

I place the seeds at specific points on the patient’s ears. Once the seed is adhered to the ear, it should stick for a couple days. To stimulate the acupressure point, just press on the seed for about 10 seconds. You can remove the seed when you are finished with it, or it might start to come off itself in the shower. The seed and adhesive can be discarded with regular trash.

Why would I want to use ear seeds?

In my practice, I usually give someone seeds to use on common points for anxiety or stress after their acupuncture treatment. There are some commercial products that sell kits that are supposed to help with a myriad of conditions, such as depression, quitting smoking, insomnia, back pain, libido, headaches, and many other things. I don’t have experience using these kits so I’m not sure about their efficacy.

What is so important about the ear?

The ear is considered a microsystem of the body. Points on the ear can be used to treat almost anything in the body, including physical pain, emotions, hormones, addiction, and much more. During an acupuncture treatment, I often use both ear and body points on my patients, but the ear can also be used as the primary area of treatment. One of the nice things about treating the ears is that people can be treated in groups. It is not necessary to remove clothing or lie down so large amounts of people can be treated at the same time in a community setting. There are protocols, such as NADA, that are used all over the world for community wellness initiatives. I will do a post in the coming weeks about auricular acupuncture, so stay tuned!

Ear seeds are trendy right now. Do they actually work?

I think one of the reasons why ear seeds are popular at the moment is that many people are looking for ways to reduce stress, improve our health, and enrich our lives. When used with other techniques, such as mindfulness, ear seeds can be another tool in our toolbox to help us with these goals. For example, if you start to feel some anxiety, you can help yourself by pausing and taking a few deep breaths. Press the ear seeds and sit still for a while, being mindful and gentle with yourself. Give yourself time to calm down and relax. In this way, ear seeds are an effective part of self care, but they are not a substitute for all your other mindfulness practices. Ear seeds should not be viewed as a shortcut, because just putting them on will not result in life or behavioral change. They should be used as part of all the other things you do to lead a balanced life, and when you combine them with healthy habits, mindfulness, and nutrition, they will support your efforts.

What do you think? Have you tried ear seeds before or are interested in trying? I’m interested to hear…

Ear Seeds

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