Ear seeds were getting plenty of attention during Wimbledon last month,  when Novak Djokovic was spotted wearing one – but they aren’t new to acupuncture practitioners!

During BBC Two’s live coverage of the tournament, presenter Clare Balding highlighted them while discussing the many small details that contribute to Djokovic’s remarkable longevity throughout his career. “….it’s something called ear seeding. You see these little marks, that’s ear seeding and it’s an acupressure technique, it’s traditional Chinese medicine… It’s the little things.”

And she’s right – for many practitioners of Traditional East Asian Medicine, those “little things” can form part of a much bigger picture.

What are ear seeds?

Ear seeds are tiny pellets, traditionally made from the seeds of the vaccaria plant, which are held in place on specific points of the ear using a small adhesive plaster. Today, many practitioners also use tiny gold, stainless steel or magnetic beads.

Unlike acupuncture needles, ear seeds don’t pierce the skin. Instead, they provide gentle, continuous stimulation to carefully selected points.

Auricular therapy, sometimes called ear acupuncture or auricular acupuncture, is based on the idea that different areas of the ear correspond to different parts of the body. Trained practitioners select points based on a person’s symptoms, health history and treatment goals, often combining local points with others chosen to support relaxation, stress management or overall wellbeing.

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