Ear Piercing for Anxiety

Did you know that ear piercing for anxiety is one of the latest ways that you can help your mental health? Placing piercings in certain sections of your ears is supposed to help with everything from tension headaches, and migraine pain to anxiety and stress. So we thought we would look at what piercings you should be looking for if you want help with anxiety-related issues.

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How Does Piercing Your Ears Help with Anxiety?

If you have heard of acupuncture then you will know that the placement of needles in certain areas of the body is supposed to help manage your body’s balance and energy. When this flow of energy or Qi is interrupted or imbalanced it creates illnesses and problems but when it is flowing well these issues supposedly disappear.

By using ear piercings in place of the traditional acupuncture needles the same energy points are being stimulated allowing the body’s energy and Qi to be brought back into balance. If this is done at certain pressure points in the ear then it is supposed to have a positive impact on anxiety reduction.

Whilst ear piercing using acupuncture points is one way to get anxiety relief you can also get our free guide to help you reduce your anxiety naturally. This guide helps you to look at other treatment methods and strategies that can help you alleviate anxiety and positively alter your mental health.

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Daith Piercing

Instead of traditional piercings on the lobe ear piercing for anxiety places the earrings in slightly different positions to help. The first of these is known as a Daith piercing when the earring is placed in the innermost ear cartilage to create the constant pressure required. Daith piercings are supposed to help with anxiety and migraines.

As this area is not, of course, the traditional area where a normal jeweler may place a piercing so expect to go to a specialist piercing parlor to get a Daith piercing for anxiety or to treat migraines. You should also note that the unusual position of the Daith piercing means that it might take longer to heal than a normal piercing and therefore you are going to be more prone to getting an infection.

If you are looking to get a Daith Piercing you are better getting a hoop style of earring or a barbell because of the thickness of the cartilage.

Rook Piercing for Anxiety

The second popular place to get an ear piercing for anxiety is in the rook of the ear. This is in the cartilage fold which is below the rim of the ear. You can have a look at our picture of all the various piercing types to see the exact location.

This piercing area is not known to help with headaches or migraines like the Daith piercing area so you can take that into account when deciding which area you would prefer. As the area between the Rook and the Daith is relatively small make sure that you are incredibly specific when you are getting your piercing done. It can be incredibly easy to get the wrong area pierced.

Also as this is yet another cartilage piercing expect it to take some considerable time to heal. In many cases, these types of piercings can take at least a year to settle down.

Shen Men Piercing

Another area supposed to help anxiety is known as the Shen Men piercing. This is a piercing that is placed in the center of the cartilage at the top of your ear. This particular area helps with headaches, anxiety symptoms and is even supposed to boost your immunity.

The word Shen Men is actually translated as Divine Gate. Think of this area as a place where many energy areas come together in the body. By piercing this particular zone you are supposedly keeping that energy flowing well which is supposed to help relieve anxiety.

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Tragus Piercing for Anxiety

Finally, when it comes to ear piercing for anxiety the final area we want to talk about is a tragus piercing. That is the area of cartilage just in front of the ear canal itself.

Tragus piercings actually cover a multitude of problems. As well as assisting with anxiety symptoms, piercing the Tragus area of the ear is also supposed to help with headaches and with weight loss and appetite. If your issues with anxiety related to food and eating then this is a particularly great spot for you to use. If you have general anxiety then you are probably better off sticking with the Daith piercing.

Ear Seeds for Anxiety

Now, of course, ear-piercing to help anxiety symptoms is not expensive it is relatively permanent and comes with some risks to your health especially if you get an infection. Whilst some people love the idea of piercings they aren’t for everyone which is why ear beads for anxiety may be a way of getting similar results without such invasive treatments.

Ear beads or ear seeds for anxiety work in a similar manner to the piercings as they stimulate the acupressure points. However, rather than piercing the ear you simply place the ear seeds firmly on the relevant pressure points of the ear to help treat anxiety, insomnia, depression or even addiction.

Ear Seed Therapy

Ear seed therapy has been around for a number of years and is a great way of using acupressure without actually piercing the skin.

Just purchase some ear seeds which can be made from silver or gold and a pair of tweezers to hold them (they are relatively small). Each ear seed has a sticky back enabling it to be stuck to the ear. Just remove the backing and get the tweezers and put it in place. Press the area firmly to make sure it is properly stuck down. Now just make sure that you press that area with your fingers a few times a day to stimulate the pressure point and get the results you want. Obviously, place the ear seed in the correct positions to help relieve anxiety symptoms.

Ear seeds will eventually fall off but this isn’t a problem as you can purchase them in packs and continue to replace them when they have completed their purpose. As they are only temporary you can easily move the ear seeds around to try and see if the results you are getting vary depending on the pressure point you use.

This Multi-Condition Ear Seeds Acupressure Kit has everything you need to get started. It has 600 counts of ear seeds which come on skin-colored tape. There is an eBook and ear chart to help you to learn how to place the ear seeds in the correct position. Plus the kit comes with an ear probe and tweezers. The probe can help you to locate each of the points that you need and the tweezers can help you place the seeds in place.

If you feel like spending a little extra money you can also get some amazing 24 karat gold ear seeds to make a little bit more of a statement. You still get 40 in the pack so if you use them carefully they should last you for some time.

Ear Seeds Chart Anxiety

If you are wondering exactly where to place ear seeds then our illustration can help. This ear seeds chart shows all the relevant reflexology points on the ear that you can use.

When it comes to anxiety disorders you can stick to placing the seeds on the Shen Men, Tragus and Daith areas or you can follow Chinese medicine when it comes to their placement. The spleen, lungs and liver reflexology points may also be useful when it comes to helping relieve anxiety.

Ear Beads and Piercings Do they Work?

Do ear beads or does ear piercing for anxiety actually work? Well, the studies remain inconclusive and scant at this point. Whilst these forms of treatments are relatively cheap there are still considerable doubts on their effectiveness.

We do know that a Study on Auricular Acupressure was carried out on nursing students in Taiwan who were suffering from problems with sleep quality, anxiety, and a depressed mood. The study consisted of 36 participants who spent four weeks using acupressure seeds to see if they could help with their anxiety-related problems. At the end of the study, their sleep quality, anxiety, and depressed mood improved by an average of 26.7%, 43.5%, and 25% respectively.

These results are clearly quite impressive and seem to demonstrate that more studies should be done to look at how pressure points on the ear could have a significant impact on an anxiety disorder and mental health in general.

Other Methods to Help Anxiety

Ear piercing for anxiety is just one method to help but there are plenty of proven methods that can change your thoughts as well. Why not try our Blitz anxiety online program or our anxiety reduction downloads to help? You can also use our anxiety tracker worksheets and printables to understand your triggers and change how you think.

Anxiety doesn’t have to be something that you live with. It can be reduced with some simple anxiety strategies and methods that you can do from your own home.

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