Ear Seeds

“Auriculotherapy is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat and even prevent conditions like anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, nausea, vomiting, substance abuse and gynecological and digestive disorders,” Dr. Nguyen says. “The ear seed is like an acupuncture needle that you use to stimulate a channel to help the patient’s condition without needing to puncture the skin.”

So what exactly is an ear seed? They’re small latex stickers — about the size of a fingernail — that contain a ripe seed from the Vaccaria plant. Your therapist places each ear seed carefully on your ear in specific acupressure points that correspond with the conditions you’re experiencing.

The most commonly used ear seeds are made from Vaccaria seeds that are attached to an adhesive sticker, though some versions now are made with ion pellets, magnets, stainless steel, titanium, ceramic or other materials instead.

If you have allergies to latex, bandages or tape, make sure to consult with your therapist to use ear seeds with a backing that’s safe for you.