Self-Care Acupressure Ear Points

Don’t miss this Saturday’s Ear Seeds workshop hosted by Jenna Hayworth, licensed acupuncturist.

Did you know you can treat your whole body by pressure points in your ears?

Each ear contains about 400 points which can affect muscles, joints, organs, and even emotions. Ear points are very closely linked to brain chemistry, so neurotransmitters, hormones, and endocrine functions can be balanced by treating the ears; this means conditions such as anxiety and depression, PTSD, and menopause can be helped.

During acupuncture treatments, we often will use our tiniest needles for the ears to compliment the body points we have chosen for the patient. For those who wish to continue sending the same message to the body between treatments, we can send them home with “ear seeds”. These are tiny seeds (or often a tiny crystal or steel ball) attached to a tiny band-aid, which is adhered to the area of the ear over the points selected for the patient. These will usually stay in about 3-4 days before they fall out on their own.

Often the ShenMen point is selected as a major relaxation point for the entire nervous system, which can help with stress, anxiety, and panic attacks. Hunger point can help with food cravings, hip point can help with sciatica pain, or Lung point can boost the immune system during allergy season.

Because ear seeds do not puncture the skin, this is a technique we are eager to teach our patients for home use.