Have you been wondering what these ear things are? What is that word you are saying? Auri what? Auricular therapy? What in the world is that?
I am here to tell you all about auricular therapy, what it is, how to use it and how it can help you and your health! So let's get started.
What is auricular therapy? In short, it is acupuncture without the needles! This is a modality I picked up in my holistic nursing program. When I heard no needles, I was in! I am not a fan of needles, and always wanted to try acupuncture but I was too afraid. I have heard it does not hurt, and I may try it one day. For now though, I use my auricular therapy!
Auricular therapy is a traditional Chinese medicine modality used for over 2500 years. In TCM, the ear is connected to 12 meridians. By stimulating the ear, you can restore the balance between blood and Chi (energy).
The ear is covered in a very powerful network of nerve endings. These nerve endings create a microsystem of the entire body on the surface of the ear. Essentially, we have a map of the human body in our ears! Pretty cool huh?
All of these little points on our ears can send messages to our organs and body parts. Our hormones may be released and ultimately healing can take place.
So how does it work? Well, ear seeds are used to activate these little points on our ears. Vaccaria seeds are a twice dried, natural flower seed. They are chosen because of their density and size, making them a perfect option to access those tiny points. In TCM, vacarria is also considered an herb that invigorates the blood! So by attaching these vaccaria seeds to adhesive backings, they can be used almost as stickers and placed on your ear on specific points to activate healing.
Ear seeds can be applied by an ear seed practitioner or you can purchase a kit for home use. Sometimes you may even have someone like your chiropractor, acupuncture or massage therapist apply them for you after a service. This is a great way to have the health benefits of your treatment extended! If a practitioner applies them, you will likely be given some education and instructions on them. If you purchase a kit, some light education and instructions are included in your kits.
So what can ear seeds treat? Ear seeds can help with many ailments like headaches, migraines, back and sciatica pain, stress, and insomnia. It can also help with losing weight, quitting smoking and even with infertility issues. It can address conditions such as anxiety and depression, post partum, post trauma and loss of libido. There are a host of other conditions such as vertigo, tinnitus and various other pains such as knee pain and hip pain that ear seeds may help with.
Conditions that are long term are best handled with the help of a practitioner however, you can certainly take control of your health now using these simple yet effective ear seeds in the at home kits.
Some types of ear seeds that you may see are vaccaria seeds as mentioned above. Additionally, there are stainless steel and 24k gold pellets as well as crystals and pearls! These are not piercings and are not permanent. I do not recommend the use of piercings for auricular therapy.
The ear seeds once applied will stay on for about 2 to 5 days. Once they fall off, it is ok to leave them off. Once it has been about 5 days, if any remain you want to remove them. Then give your ears a rest for about 24 to 48 hours. Then you can reapply new seeds. The ear seeds are not reusable and should be disposed of after 5 days' use.
When applying your ear seeds, you want to clean your ear with alcohol. Let it dry and then you can place the ear seeds according to your chart. While placement is important, getting in the general area is okay! You can use tweezers and/or a probe to place or even just your fingers. Do what is comfortable! You can also have a friend or family member help you place the first time and take a picture for you. Do not worry, placement gets easier over time! You can do this!
Once placed, you can enjoy life as usual. This means shower, exercise and sleep with them in! When getting out of the shower you want to take care not to rub them while wet. During the day you want to give them a little press for a few seconds every few hours to stimulate them and create healing. Again, they may fall off before the 5 days depending on placement and how oily your skin is ect. This is completely ok!
Are there any side effects? Ear seeds are a non-invasive modality that has been around as mentioned above for over 2500 years. However, there is risk with everything. With that said, please take the following into consideration. If you are pregnant, you should always consult a doctor before use. Sometimes when using seeds, some areas of the ear may be a little tender or sore. This is normal. If there is pain however, the ear seed should be removed. You can try to reapply at a later time. If there is any skin irritation or swelling the seeds should be removed and follow up with your doctor. The bandage backed seeds do have latex in them and should not be used on those who have a latex allergy. The clear backed tape does not have latex. On very rare occasions there have been reports from very sensitive people who have felt slight nausea or dizziness. This usually goes away within minutes however, if it persists you can remove the seeds. Ear seeds are not meant for inside the ear canal and should NEVER be placed in there. There are no contraindications reported from use of ear seeds and those taking medications and/or herbs.
Do they really work? As mentioned, this is a TCM modality that has clinical studies reflecting the efficacy of this modality. However, this article is for educational purposes and I can not make any personal claims that you will see results from at home use of the kits. Proper placement by practitioners has shown immediate results in pain sufferers and more. Some more chronic conditions have shown to be resolved as well, but can take more time. This can mean repeated treatments and up to a couple of weeks until results are seen. There is plenty of research on this topic in which I can send links upon request!
As always I am not a doctor and I am not making any claims for cures. This is information for educational purposes only. You should ALWAYS do your due diligence and research and make your own decisions. Consult with a trusted health care practitioner of your choice and follow your intuition and knowledge on what is right for you and your family!
I hope you enjoyed this blog post! Feel free to browse my products, which include various ear seed kits! I also offer ear seed application services that can be found under the classes/services section of my website or you can click below. If you saw a product or a service from me at a vendor fair, workshop, expo ect. and do not see it on my website please feel free to send me a message!
Have a beautiful day and God Bless!