He notes that the exact process from stimulation to relief in the body is not well understood. “Stimulation of these points is thought to promote the release of endorphins, which inhibit pain signals,” says Dr. How Ear Seeding Worksīlakeway explains that traditional Chinese medicine views the body as self-regulating, and ear seeds - which she considers to be “a gentle version of acupuncture” - prompt the body to heal.Įxactly how ear seeds ease health issues like insomnia or anxiety is a more complex and under-researched question, says Grant Chu, MD, an assistant clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the Center for East-West Medicine at University of California in Los Angeles. Blakeway says auricular acupressure via ear seeding is traditionally believed to affect every part of the body through the minute acupressure points in the ear. When the ear seeds on these auricular acupoints are massaged, they may help address physiological and psychological symptoms like inflammation, pain, stress, and fatigue, according to the Cleveland Clinic.Įar seeds don’t pierce the skin, but stimulate acupoints, making them effective for many chronic conditions,” says Jill Blakeway, a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in private practice in New York City. Unlike acupuncture, ear seeding doesn’t employ needles. They generally contain a ripe seed from the Vaccaria plant, commonly referred to as cow herb, cow basil, or soapwort, or a metal or ceramic bead, and are placed in the outer ear. What Is Ear Seeding?Įar seeding is a traditional therapy rooted in TCM, and falls under the modality of auriculotherapy, a form of complementary and alternative medicine, which is based on the belief that the entire body and its systems (reproductive, nervous, digestive, respiratory, et cetera) can be reflected in the map of the ear (called a microsystem), which has various pressure points that correspond to various organs and systems.Īccording to an article published in Medical Acupuncture in June 2019, the earliest references to ear seeding were discovered in Chinese texts dating back to about 221 B.C.Įar seeding, essentially an acupressure technique specific to the ear, employs small thin stickers (often latex), each roughly a half centimeter in diameter.
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Here’s what you should know about using ear seeds, according to health experts and emerging scientific research.
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As with other complementary and alternative therapies, though, it’s best to visit a licensed acupuncture practitioner to find out how (and whether) to use them for your specific concerns. The trend, for TikTokers at least, revolves around at-home ear seed products you can buy over the counter and online that are similar to those used in acupuncture clinics. Giselle Boxer (12,800 followers) who runs Acu Seeds, an ear-seeding studio in the United Kingdom, claims these tiny stickers can help with stress, fatigue, focus, sleep, and more. Ava Lee (1,400,000 followers) says her digestion has immensely improved after using ear seeds. Some popular TikTok users have made personal claims: Grace Bonjibon (149,800 followers) says she uses the sticky beads for migraine relief. Many TikTokers claim, and some emerging research postulates, that this acupressure technique - a form of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) - may reduce chronic pain, alleviate stress, and help with weight loss, among myriad other potential health benefits. Since January 2021, the hashtag #earseeding has garnered 200,000 views and counting on TikTok, while the channel “ear seeds” has racked up 81.4 million views. “Ear seeding is the process of placing tiny metallic beads attached to a small piece of adhesive material, like tape, in strategic locations on the surface of the ear,” says Sue Kim, MD, a medical acupuncturist at Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto, California. It's similar to the technique of auricular acupuncture, and has a similar map of points, but does not use needles. Also referred to as auricular acupressure, it's a noninvasive technique that stimulates pressure points on the ear.
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TikTokers have been raving lately about the supposed health benefits of a healing practice that dates back thousands of years: ear seeding.