NATURAL FIXES Ear Seeding for Insomnia

Carefully placed beads could make slumber easier.

- EMILY GOLDMAN

If you suffer from insomnia, you've likely tried just about everything modern medicine offers to help you fall asleep. But Jessica Cho, M.D., an internal medicine physician in Los Angeles with an integrative approach, says you might take a cue from traditional Chinese medicine and lend an ear (or two) to ear seeding, also known as auricular acupressure. Dr. Cho, who uses ear seeding with her patients, explains what you need to know about this noninvasive therapy.

What exactly is ear seeding?

It's a way to stimulate pressure points in the ear. This technique has been used for thousands of years to alleviate insomnia, pain, stress, and other issues. Small metallic beads or plant seeds are adhered to pressure points in the ear's microsystem that are linked to other body systems, including the nervous, digestive, and respiratory systems.