Your Immune System Matters… A Lot.

Since the world-altering discovery of germs back in the 1800s, modern society has waged somewhat of a war on pathogenic microbes. Antibiotics, disinfectants, and antibacterial soaps were all the rage for a long time, and their popularity led to rampant overuse.

Although protecting yourself from germs, maintaining good hygiene, and following guidelines to avoid infection is absolutely important, scientists and doctors now agree that the outright destruction of microbes may be causing great harm. Antibiotic resistant bacteria are on the rise due to overuse of antibiotics, antibacterials, and disinfectants. Children’s immune systems may also be developing poorly, simply due to lack of exposure to a diverse range of microbes. Damage to the microbial balance of the human immune system may cause a range of chronic illnesses and issues.

Our obsession with destroying pathogens has somewhat shifted the conversation away from the importance of taking care of and boosting one’s own immune systems. When the human immune system is robust and strong, it’s quite amazing what it can do. A strong immune system may become even more essential as more virulent bacterias and viruses adapt to our ultra-hygienic world.

A healthy immune system starts with the basics. Drinking plenty of water, eating a healthy and varied diet full of fresh produce, daily exercise and movement, getting enough sleep, and supplementing vitamins and minerals constitute the foundation. But there is strong, growing evidence that other forms of complementary and alternative medicine like acupuncture, herbs, and chiropractic care may support a healthy immune system. If you’d like to learn more about ear acupuncture before you dig into using it for specific conditions, click here.

Disclaimer: This blog post is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content is for general information purposes only. If you have medical questions or concerns, you should always seek guidance from a licensed practitioner who understands your personal medical history.

What is Ear Acupuncture?

Ear acupuncture is an ancient system of medicine, based on the same principles of acupuncture, that works with the body’s own healing systems. It’s safe, effective, and free of harmful side effects. During ear acupuncture treatment, acupuncture points on the ear are stimulated with pressure, microcurrent, or light. Best of all, it’s something you can do safely for yourself, right from the comfort of your home.

Below, you can read 4 compelling reasons why ear acupuncture could help support your immune system.

1. Ear acupuncture helps the body reach homeostasis.

According to the British acupuncture council, “acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system and cause the release of neurochemical messenger molecules. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, thus promoting physical and emotional well-being.” Ear acupuncture, which uses the same mechanism of treatment and also stimulates acupuncture points, likely has the same effect.

Homeostasis is the state of equilibrium where our bodies function best. Returning to homeostasis is one of the important thing that our bodies do subconsciously—it keeps us alive! Right now, without your conscious thought, your body is, at this very moment, managing the pH of your blood, regulating your temperature, controlling blood flow and heart rate, digesting food in your system, protecting you from pathogens, and so much more! Ear acupuncture helps the body return to homeostasis, especially after a stressful experience. In a state of homeostasis, your immune system will function best.

With time, ear acupuncture may help train your body to return to this state more easily. This encourages less stress, less extreme negative emotion, less illness, better immune system function, less susceptibility to inflammation, more energy and a higher sense of wellbeing. All of this combined may support your body’s natural defenses, strengthen your immune system, and help you feel better in general.

2. Ear Acupuncture helps balance your body’s energy, encouraging total-body wellness.

According to Chinese Medicine, there are many channels of energy that run through our bodies. These channels are interconnected and dependent upon each other. When one channel is out of balance, the other channels suffer. Imbalances lead to symptoms.

Therefore, the aim of an acupuncturist is to help restore balance to the body so that the energy can flow correctly again. Acupuncturists believe that when energy is flowing properly, the body has the innate ability to heal and thrive.

A thorough ear acupuncture treatment has been shown through energy graphing techniques to balance the energy in the entire body. Balanced energy may lead to greater health in all aspects of life and support healthy immune system function.

In the below picture, green bars represent balanced channels, while the other colors indicate imbalance. Notice the change after just one comprehensive ear acupuncture treatment!

3. Ear Acupuncture may have immunomodulatory effects.

A randomized, controlled clinical study from 2012 that tested immune system markers in patients receiving acupuncture, ear acupuncture, and a placebo confirmed that ear acupuncture had immunomodulatory effects on recipients.

Immunomodulatory means that it supports healthy immune system function, helping your body to fight off invaders without overreacting, or inciting a damaging immune response like a cytokine storm. Immunomodulatory therapies are important, because they both strengthen the immune system AND prevent it from going too wild in its fight against pathogens. This may help you recover more quickly from illness and experience milder symptoms overall.

4. Happy mood = healthy immunity?

Did you know that laughing boosts your immune system powerfully, and the immune-boosting effects may last for hours? Crazy, huh?

In fact, all positive emotions, including feelings of gratitude, joy, love and peace may strongly impact immune system health in a very real way. When you feel good, you’re much more likely to stay happy, and healthy!

One of ear acupuncture’s claim to fame is its potential support of a healthy and stable mood. Studies show that ear acupuncture may decrease depression and anxiety and help modulate hormones that affect mood.

How Do I Treat?

Okay, now that you know that ear acupuncture is a valuable ally against seasonal allergies, you’re probably starting to wonder… how do I treat these points? And with what?

You’re on the right track! There are a few vital components to effective, accurate ear acupuncture.

1. A Good Reference Guide

The first thing you’ll need in order to treat the ear is a really good reference guide. Something that will show you WHAT points to treat, and WHERE the points are in an understandable, accurate picture. The only problem is, there are acupuncture points in all the nooks and crannies, including on the back of your ear. It would be pretty hard to see them all in a 2D image.

That’s why the best reference tool in the business is Auriculo 360. Check out the GIF below – as you can see, Auriculo 360 gives you a fully 3-dimensional ear that you can rotate, spin, turn and drag. You can also zoom in, toggle between left and right ears, and overlay the Nogier frequency zones (well-studied frequencies for different areas of the ear).

Finally, Auriculo 360 is complete with over a hundred pre-made protocols for common ailments, along with a database of hundreds of individual points. Protocols can be modified as needed to fit your treatment style! It’s an absolute no-brainer for anyone interested in learning and using auriculotherapy.

The best part is Auriculo 360 was designed to be incredibly affordable, with options less than $11 per month when paid annually.

Get a FREE TRIAL of Auriculo 360 right now:

2. A Way to Locate Points Accurately

Naturally, a reliable way to locate points comes next! There are many methods for point location that range from manual probes, to powerful devices that locate acupuncture points electrically.

These location tools range in price from ~$6 to ~$600, so it’s important to do your research and figure out which one will fit your needs.

Here are a few of the indicators that a point is “active,” or in other words, ready to receive treatment.

Color Change: Inspect the skin for changes in color at the point you are examining. Is there increased redness? Lack of color? A different color than the surrounding skin? A dry or flaky patch? These are all indications of an active point.
Skin structure abnormalities: Carefully look and feel for changes in skin structure. A raised bump or hard nodule, dryness, roughness or moisture may indicate the active point.
Tenderness: Is the point tender to the touch? A mechanical point detector with a round probe tip is very useful for detecting tenderness in the auricle. The tip should be small and blunt—small so that you can locate a point easily, and blunt so that you do not cause damage to the ear with pressure. A rounded ball tip is the most comfortable. You can purchase one here.

For beginners, we recommend starting with a manual probe. It will help you locate points and leave a small indentation on the ear that will help you place the seed properly. You can purchase one here.

Electronic Location: If you’re a practitioner, high-quality auricular treatment devices have a measurement mode to electronically locate active points, and a treatment mode to treat the points once they are located. Active points will show lower electrical resistance than surrounding tissue. This is a more advanced process, but certainly worth it for those who are serious about auriculotherapy. The best microcurrent tool we’ve found is called the Pointoselect Digital. It has all the flexibility you need for advanced auricular work, like bipolar point detection and adjustable sensitivity. Treatment is just as flexible, giving you ultimate control over intensity, frequency, even pulse-width. If you’re serious about auriculotherapy, you can learn more about the Pointoselect Digital here: https://www.pointoselect.com

***Important Disclaimer: If you are not a licensed practitioner, you should not use a microcurrent device on anyone other than yourself.

3. A Powerful Way to Treat the Points

Finally, you’ll need a tool to treat! In some instances, if you’re a practitioner, this tool may be the same tool you use to electronically locate the point, like the Pointoselect Digital. For anyone else who ISN’T a practitioner, don’t worry! You can still effectively treat auricular points with a nifty tool called “ear seeds” or “ear pellets”. Ear seeds are tiny seeds from the vaccaria plant backed with a bandage-like adhesive square that you place on ear acupuncture points. Ear pellets are small, stainless steel beads (sometimes topped with a crystal for a fun look) that have a clear, adhesive circular backing.

Ear seeds and ear pellets work because the spherical shaped vaccaria seeds or stainless steel beads stimulate the acupuncture points on which they’re placed with light but consistent pressure, which sends a constant signal to your nervous system.

Treating Auricular Points with Ear Seeds

Many people apply ear seeds or pellets to treat ear acupuncture points. The continuous stimulation offered by the seeds extends and boosts the treatment, even as you work, travel or sleep. This means that results may be more pronounced, and improvement may occur more quickly. Some people press on the seeds or pellets throughout the day to offer even greater stimulation for a short period of time.

Step-by-Step Ear Seed/Pellet Treatment

For best results use the Auriculo 360 3D reference app to locate applicable ear acupuncture points for a given condition. You can do this right on your Android or Apple smartphone using the Auriculo 360 app.
Then, treat the suggested points by placing Auriculo 360 brand ear seeds or pellets, using tweezers, on the points recommended by Auriculo 360 for your condition.
Leave the seeds or pellets on your ear for up to a week, though they may come off on their own after a few days.
Follow the instructions on the ear seed or pellet packages for application, and be sure to always clean the ear before placing seeds or pellets so they adhere correctly!

***Important Disclaimer: If you are not a licensed practitioner, you should not use a microcurrent device on anyone other than yourself.

Get a FREE TRIAL of Auriculo 360 right now:

Immune Support Protocol: A Few ‘Points’ of Interest

1. Thymus Gland

This point is traditionally one of the most powerful and effective ear acupuncture points for strengthening and modulating immune system function. The thymus is a specialized lymphoid organ of the immune system, and the site where T cells are produced. T cells are critical to the body’s adaptive immune system—the system responsible for adapting to and fighting off new foreign invaders.

2. Spleen.C

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the spleen is responsible for transporting, distributing and transforming nutrients throughout the body. It is vital for homeostasis and proper function of all body systems, and it’s especially connected to the immune system.

This point is used to regulate Spleen function, and especially the function of the lymphatic and immune systems.

3. Vitality Point

This is a dynamic point used to increase energy and vitality overall, especially for patients who are weakened due to medical conditions or medical interventions like surgery or chemotherapy.

It is especially powerful for supporting and regulating the immune system, helping the body to heal more quickly and effectively.

Get the Full Immune Support Protocol in the Auriculo 360 App!

For the sake of brevity, we’ll only share 3 points here. But there are hundreds more points and protocols waiting in the Auriculo 360 app!

We hope these three tiny points will make a difference in your journey.

Ear Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to help the body heal and thrive, naturally. For non-life-threatening conditions and wellness care, it can be a powerful holistic addition to your at-home wellness routine, or a great adjunct treatment to add to your professional practice!

To learn more about ear acupuncture, check out this blog post.

Or, learn more about the Auriculo 360 reference app here.

Finally, check out Auriculo 360 brand ear seeds and pellets here, so you can treat yourself at home!

Thanks For Reading!

– The “Ear Acupuncture For” Team