If you ever attend an event with me, soon you’ll notice people walking around with funny little stickers on their ears. Ear seeds are my mobile acupressure strategy. When people come up to me and ask what I can do about their back pain in the middle of a party… BAM! On go the ear seeds. These are radish seeds on a tiny piece of band-aid tape. There’s nothing magical about the radish – they are just the right size and shape to apply acupressure to any of the 100 points on your ear (map below).
You’re familiar with reflexology, right? You know how your entire body is reflected on your hands and feet? Same deal with the ears. I can treat pain or dysfunction anywhere in the body, emotional upheaval, anxiety, etc. This is why I’m not a huge fan of lots of piercings. It’s also why ear massages are like getting a full body massage, and terrific for immediately calming someone down. Try it the next time your migraines act up, your dog is freaked out, or your sweetheart has road rage. :) Just gently rub the entire ear – don’t worry about hitting specific points for this purpose.
Once the seeds are on, they are working. They will last 3-4 days, and you can shower normally. If you want to give the treatment a boost, and can’t feel them on your ears, give them a gentle squeeze to wake them up. If you are already aware of them, leave them alone… they will probably be pretty tender to the touch! Sometimes people find the ear seeds annoying or sore, particularly if they are side-sleepers or they are working superhard (the more active a point is, the more it can hurt). In that case, just take them off. The point is to make you feel better!
I never charge for ear seeds. Ask me for them anytime – I always have them in my purse, and you are welcome to drop by the clinic for a quick installation.
Note: Some people use ear staples for quitting smoking, weight loss, etc. I prefer earseeds, since sending someone out with an open wound is an invitation to infection. Acupressure is hugely powerful and hurts less, too!
There are about 100 points on the ear, so I can treat nearly anything. Ear seeds are quick, portable, and give you a few days of acupressure.
My husband is having severe hip and lower back pain he is a C 8 quad he just completed 3 months of physical therapy and had an injection in his lower back the injection helped for just a short time do you think accupuncture might help if so could you refer us to someone in the Everett Wa area. The Drs.think its his sacrum joint Thank you Janine Roberts
You may want to take him to Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM). They have an acupuncture school there and you will get a very good discount. All students are supervised and treatment plans are discussed with the licensed acupuncturist on staff.
Having worked in orthopedics for 15 years as a PA, and now going through naturopathic medical school and chinese med school, I can tell you that there are no problems, with the exception of a fracture/trauma, that have it’s origin in “the bone.” In other words, there is always an underlying root cause. Dermatology and orthopedics are all problems with an underlying cause (and the exception in derm is contact dermatitis/poison ivy).
Orthopedic doctors love to hang up an xray and blame everything on arthritis the minute they see a bone spur. I have had the neck of a 70 year old since my early 30’s, I have no pain or stiffness. People job marathons into their 80’s. This old age/arthritis stuff is a myth. It’s typically due to poor lifestyle choices. All that said, your husbands root problem isn’t the bone, there is more going on that is affecting the bone.
Also, Christopher Reeve was a quad and regained function of one of his arms through mental imagery. Everyone is quick to pull the plug on the body’s ability to heal itself. First, the body became what it did from a microscopic egg and sperm! I think it knows how to heal itself. Mankind has become arrogant with its science thinking that it knows better than the innate wisdom of nature and body. If ALL of the obstacles to cure are removed, the body is given what it needs to heal, and that there is enough time in the person’s life to heal, I believe any issue can be improved.
Hi Janine! Acupuncture would definitely be a good technique to try. I’m sorry I don’t know anyone in Everett to refer you to. I would recommend asking your friends and looking at online reviews. Don’t be afraid to try a few out and pick your favorite: There are LOTS of different types of acupuncture and varied levels of skill with practitioners. Seek out one that works for you!