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How Acupuncture Ear Seeds Work

Acupuncture ear seeds are a form of acupressure (Auriculotherapy) based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) map of pressure points on the ear relating to different parts of the body or emotional states. They work with specific pressure points found in the ears to unblock stagnant Qi, similar to how needles are placed in specific acupoints along meridian lines found in the body with acupuncture. It’s believed that the ear is like a microcosm of the entire body.

Apparently, from a biomedical standpoint, the physicality of applying fixed pressure to an ear seed sets off a chain reaction in the neurological pathways that connect the ear to the brain, and have been shown to reduce physical pain, boost immunity and mental clarity. Studies have also found that the application and subsequent pressure that is applied to ear seeds releases endorphins to the brain and pituitary gland, thereby reducing physical pain and promoting a sense of well-being- sign me up!

Ear seeds usually come in the form of tiny Vaccaria seeds held in place by a small plaster, but they can also be gold or silver-plated studs for aesthetics (you can even get beauty seeds with Swarovski crystals)! The Vaccaria seed is traditionally chosen because it is said to hold its own healing properties, such as being anti-inflammatory and increase circulation. About 3-5 seeds are positioned in one or both ears for up to 5 days. If needed, they can be put on again after 24 hours.

Ear seeds are a wonderful complementary healing tool to other forms of acupuncture or treatments and independent studies have shown their ability to assist in health conditions such as:

Chronic and acute pain, especially lower back pain (I had great success with this)
Fatigue and brain fog
PMS
Hormone regulation
Depression
Stress and anxiety
Fertility issues (talk to your doctor if you’re pregnant because some points can stimulate labour)
Migraines
Cholesterol and weight loss issues
Addictions

They’re a quick and non-invasive practice that can be particularly effective if you massage them a couple of times throughout the day accompanied with some breathwork. I really love my monthly ear seed application that I use for PMS symptoms and find that it helps keep me in a mellow state too where I can sleep deeper and also experience more vitality during the days. As such a gentle, supportive method, the effects felt aren’t extremely life changing or drastic however, but they are a really nice addition to anything else that you do or if you feel like giving yourself a little boost!

How To Use Ear Seeds

You usually need to book appointments with a TCM practitioner for auricular therapy, and it’s often done in conjunction with other practices, but you can also use at-home kits (like I do) that will come with a map of the ear’s acupressure points and an application rod. Although there more than 200 pressure points on the ear and they are pretty small, they do cover a bit of area so you don’t have to be that precise when applying them, especially if you massage them periodically throughout the day you’ll be sure to hit the right target. Sometimes people use them in between acupuncture sessions as a top-up as well.

Generally there are 5 major points that are most often used for their all-encompassing nature, and 2 of those are the foundational ones used pretty much every time; these are the Shen Men Point and Point Zero. The Shen Men Point is The Spirit Gate, or Neurogate, and helps to bring all systems of the body into harmony and Point Zero is the nervous-system baseline from which everything else will be regulated. The Shen Men is sometimes called “the fish eye point” because it’s located in the little dip at the top of your ear, and Point Zero occurs at the end of the raised tapered line that leads in the concave middle bit of your ear (see image below for more details). Often, the heart, brain, and endocrine (our hormone regulating system) points are also selected to cover the main functionalities of the body.

If you prefer, other popular pressure points include:

Heavenly Gate point for anxiety (top inner corner)
Insomnia point (along the top inner rim and lower rim, just before the earlobe)
Vitality point (top of the tragus)
Daith point for migraines (where people also get piercings, on the central, inner raised ledge)

Plus, a point exists for basically every condition you can think of so a quick Google search is sure to come up with anything else you’re interested in!

Before applying the ear seeds it’s best to wipe the ear down with alcohol or something similar to get rid of any sebum and then use a pair of tweezers to peel off the plaster (the seeds are already attached), then you can use the little rod that comes with the pack to make sure it’s fully stuck down after it’s in place. I like to press and hold it with my finger for a few seconds as well so the warmth can activate the plaster glue to make sure they’re really stuck down well. Don’t worry about scratching your ear, sleeping or washing your hair- you’ll most likely have to pull these guys off yourself at the end of the 5 days! If one does happen to fall off though it’s OK, even 1 day will bring some benefits. If not, once their time is up, simply peel of using tweezers and discard.

There should be no pain when using ear seeds but you may feel some slight discomfort at times, for example first thing in the morning if you’ve slept on a tender spot for a while, and when you take them off there may be a little bit of redness.

For such a low-cost investment, ear seeds are a really accessible way of integrating a bit of TLC into your life. I personally usually go for the Shen Men Point and Point Zero, then 2 PMS points, an anxiety and vitality point, 2 insomnia points, and then maybe a mood-uplifting point and the endocrine point, depending on how I feel at the time.

I’ve written a bit more about different reflexology points and ways to stimulate in them in my post 7 Holistic Ways To Manage Stress if you’re interested in learning more!

So that’s how acupuncture ear seeds work and how to use them at home. I really love these tiny little balls of serenity and look forward to my monthly application of them, I hope you enjoy them too!

If you’re interested in other forms of acupressure or energy healing, check out our posts on The Healing Benefits Of Reiki and How To Do EFT Tapping For Anxiety.

Have you ever tried ear seeds before? If so, what did you think of them? Let me know in the comments section below :)

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