ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A tiny seed is leading to what some call life-changing impacts.
“Ear seeding has been a part of traditional Chinese medicine, which includes acupuncture, cupping, things that people might be more familiar with, for thousands of years,” explains Gudrun Wu Snyder, doctor of acupuncture and founder of Moon Rabbit Acupuncture.
She says traditionally seeds were used on the ear, on acupressure points to treat ailments, “things like insomnia, back pain, digestion all sorts of different things safely and effectively,” explains Snyder.
She says, just like acupuncture treatments, the seeds press on channels or meridians on your ear, to provide pain relief elsewhere on the body. There are no side effects, other than potential discomfort, but the seeds are easily removed like a band-aid if they bother a user.
Snyder says people can now have fun with the seed options. “In modern times we use like fancy gold beads, even Swarovski crystals to make it fun but functional.” There are more neutral options, for those who don’t want them noticeable.
Snyder’s website offers at-home kits but you can also have an acupuncturist place the seeds for you. Snyder says they typically last about 5 days or longer.