by Elizabeth Ropp, LAc.
If you follow MAS on Facebook or if you’ve been in the clinic in the last few weeks, you may have noticed the new edition to our small selection of homecare products: ear seeds kits.
We don’t sell many products at MAS. We like to keep it simple. What we do carry at MAS has to effective.
What are ear seeds?
If you are not familiar with ear seeds, they are acupressure stickers containing a small metal bead or seed. When applied to acupressure points on the ear (or body) it can provide a therapeutic effect. It’s like an acupuncture needle but it doesn’t puncturing the skin. It's acupressure.
Ear seeds are growing in popularity. Magazines like Vogue have written articles about ear seeds claiming all kinds of benefits. Many companies are popping up selling ear seeds kits and online classes, which is great! However, we know it can also seem overwhelming for anyone who is new to ear seeds for how to get started.
We’ve tried a number of different ear seeds products over the years and chose good quality seeds that are easy to use and don't cost a lot of money. I also settled on a 4-point ear seed treatment that is effective and easy for anyone to learn and apply. I learned this 4-point combination from my colleague and friend, Laura Cooley. She named it The Don’t Worry, Be Happy treatment.
Why use ear seeds?
In 2020, many patients mentioned how much more anxious they were than usual because of the pandemic. I added ear seeds into many treatments. So many of you gave me great feedback with the addition of the ear seeds.
In the years before the pandemic I volunteered at a shelter near the SNHU arena. I have seen people in acute withdrawal from street drugs find relief with ear seeds. Later, I volunteered at Hope for NH Recovery. Every week, I met with a group of regulars who enjoyed ear acupuncture, ear seeds or both as a way to support long term recovery from Substance Use Disorder.
How to get started
MAS Ear seed kits come with a QR code to our website where you can find a video demonstration that I made of The Don’t Worry, Be Happy treatment along with a curated playlist of other videos to help you get started with your ear seeds practice.
Do you want to take an ear seeds class?
There are many great ear seeds classes available online. We recommend the AcuTherapy Class offered by our colleagues at Public Health Acupuncture New Mexico (PHANM). This class was created by experienced instructors who have brought ear seeds trainings to high schools and public health settings in many communities in New Mexico. The training was made possible through a grant from the Medical Reserve Corps.
Let us know what you think. If you buy our ear seeds kits to treat yourself and your friends and family, please let us know how it goes.