Ear Acupuncture & Acupressure for Stress Relief

You've probably noticed when coming in for your Acupuncture treatment, that although the points used vary from treatment to treatment, you almost always have needles in your ears. Why is that?  The ears are actually a microsystem, meaning that much like foot reflexology, they have an "imprinted map" of our entire body.  If you picture a baby curled up in fetal position, upside down, you can imagine this microsystem on an ear, with the head of the baby on the ear lobe, the spine curling up the ear, and the lower body at the top of the ear.    By locating points according to this map, any area of the body can be addressed with a needle placed in the correct point location.

The ears are rich with nerve endings, and ear points have direct calming effects on the central nervous system, making them especially effective for pain relief, addictions, and stress relief.  In a community acupuncture clinic, we see a lot of conditions aggravated by stress and anxiety, so ear points are almost always incorporated into a treatment.  A particular favorite is a point named "Shenmen" which has a calming, relaxing, and soothing effect on our entire system.  When we are relaxed, our body has a much easier time using it's energy to heal, so this is an extremely therapeutic part of the treatment.  When patients are coming in specifically for stress and anxiety relief, sometimes after the needles are pulled out we will stick tiny stainless steel balls known as "earseeds" onto ear points.  These earseeds have an adhesive that keeps them stuck to the ears, and they can be worn for several days and stimulated with your fingers for an ongoing "acupressure" treatment effect even after you leave the clinic.

If for some reason you can't make it in for a treatment, give yourself some stress relieving acupressure by grasping your ear between thumb and index finger, and massage the entire ear.  You can start at the top, and gradually work your way down and around the ear to the ear lobe, and then massage the deeper inner concave part of your ear as well.  Massage the ears for a minute or two until you can feel the warmth of increased blood flow.  Take deep breaths and allow your nervous system to settle down again.  Enjoy the benefits of this acupressure ear massage anytime you are feeling stressed or anxious, and then as soon as you can, get in for a stronger dose of Acupuncture to heighten the therapeutic effect.  Have a stress free holiday season!