Heo Jun Museum, Seoul, South Korea Heo Jun Museum, Seoul, South Korea Heo Jun Museum, Seoul, South Korea Original article and pictures take kampo.ca site
Ear acupressure is one tool you can keep in your self care tool bag. This blog post is an introductory how-to guide for doing it yourself.
Ear acupressure (also called “auriculotherapy” or simply “ear treatments”) is virtually free and can help you reduce symptoms and stay healthy. Using ear treatment methods, you can address everything from stress reduction and boosting immunity to soothing your digestion, easing joint & muscle pains, and more!
Ear treatments are done by placing small press balls, little magnets, or even seeds (especially seeds from the vaccaria plant) at specific areas of the outside of your ears. Don’t have press balls or seeds? You can massage ear points using a pencil eraser!
How does it work?
Similar to how foot reflexology targets points on the feet that correspond to areas of your body, in acupuncture, there is a map of the body inside the ear. Acupuncturists use these points for treating pain, digestive problems, smoking cessation, weight loss, generalized stress and anxiety, and to emphasize functions and parts of the body during an acupuncture session. But you can do this at home too!
MY ADVICE: Always use common sense when putting things in and on your body. Don’t leave press balls, magnets, or anything else that’s small on children who will rub or swallow or shove these items down their ears or any other place for that matter. Don’t do it. And don’t do it yourself either.
Chew Wong has created great pictures of the ear. Treat 1-5 points in an ear.
Step ONE
Gather your supplies and decide what symptoms you’re going to focus on.
Step TWO
Wipe your ear with alcohol or a damp wash cloth.
Step THREE
Stick the press balls or press seeds on up to 5 points on your ear. You can treat both ears or just one. Treat the same side as the problem you’re working on: for example, left hip pain gets some press balls in the left ear.
Step FOUR
Leave them in place for 2-3 days. To keep them from falling off, you can cut a small piece of medical tape and cover the press balls / press seeds in your ear. Check out the pics on our Pinterest board for examples of what that will look like.
In a depression at the front of the chest, in the breast muscle, slightly below shoulder joint level.
Central Storage
LU1
stiff neck, respiratory, wrist
On the inside front leg, just above the bony prominence on the inside wrist, in a small depression.
Broken Sequence
LU7
respiratory, wrist
On the inside front wrist at the crease formed when you flex the paw.
Great Abyss
LU9
pain in face, mouth, foreleg
Inside the the first toe, in the web between the dewclaw or where the dewclaw would be.
Adjoining Valleys
LI4
allergies, infections - clears "heat" from upper body
Lift the foot, flex the elbow, and you'll find a crease forms on the outside of the elbow. Feel for the depression at the end of the crease, just in front of the bony prominence.
Crooked Pool
LI11
uterine bleeding, shock - clears "heat"
On the inside of hind dewclaw, just above the nail.
Hidden White
SP1
gastrointestinal or uterine bleeding, diarrhea
In a depression on inside of hind footbones, just below the ankle.
On inside thigh muscle (in front of and above SP9) in the large muscle in front of femur bone.
Sea of Blood
SP10
eye problems
Immediately below the eyeball, where the lid meets the eye, directly below center of pupil (be careful not to poke the eye).
Receiving Tears
ST1
conjunctivitis, eye discomfort
Directly under the center of the eye (just below ST1).
Four White
ST2
digestion - boosts qi
On the outside hind leg, just below the knee, in a clear depression in the middle of the muscle toward the front of the leg.
Foot Three Mile
ST36
clears face, mouth, dental, and foot "heat"
The depression just up from the web between the innermost toe and the next toe, on the hind foot.
Inner Courtyard
ST44
neck, shoulder, and back pain, sprains and other trauma
On the front paw, in the depression on outside of paw bone, above where it joins outside toe.
Back Stream
SI3
ear pain, infections, deafness
In a depression in the very center of the front of the ear (between TH21 and GB2).
Palace of Hearing
SI19
heart problems - stabilizes emotions and brings calming
On the outside back of the the lower front leg. Bend the wrist and feel for the large, natural depression formed slightly above and behind the wrist crease
Spirit's Gate
HT7
nausia, vomiting, heart problems - brings calming
Find the sole pad behind the wrist on the front leg. Move up the leg to the depression between two tendons that run up the back of the leg.
Inner Gate
PC6
supports kidneys, nourishes bodily fluids
On the inside hind leg, just above the ankle in a large pocket.
Great Stream
KI3
back pain, weak legs - supports kidneys
In a depression just above innermost corner of the eye.
Repeated Current
KI7
eye tearing, dry eye, conjunctivitis
In a notch above innermost corner of the eye, at brow level (above BL1).
Eye's Bright
BL1
eye discomfort
In a notch above innermost corner of the eye, at brow level (above BL1).
Bamboo Leaf
BL2
pneumonia, bronchitis
On the back, between the shoulder blades. Gently stroke between the blades from front to back.
Lung's Hollow
BL13
supports the heart - brings calming and cooling
On either side of the spine, in the small indentations behind where top of the 5th rib meets the vertebra. Count ribs from the last (13th) and move forward.
Heart's Hollow
BL15
gastrointestinal problems - supports qi
Just behind where 2nd to last rib joins the vertebra (similar to BL15).
Spleen's Hollow
BL20
vomiting, stomach problems - clears "dampness"
On indentation (forward of BL22) on lower back, on either side of spine.
Stomach's Hollow
BL21
supports the kidneys - removes "dampness"
On indentation (forward of BL23) on lower back, on either side of spine.
Triple Heater's Hollow
BL22
back problems - supports the kidneys
On the middle of your dog's side, locate the last rib, then go straight up to the spine. Find the point in the indentation beside 2nd lumbar vertebra.
Kidney's Hollow
BL23
back pain, constipation, intestinal disorders
In an indentation along the back next to the 5th lumbar vertebra (2 indentations back along the back muscles from BL23).
Large Intestine's Hollow
BL25
urinary disfunction
Slightly to the side of the midline on the back, level with the sacrum (just behind the hipbone, where tale vertebra begin).
Bladder's Hollow
BL28
back and bladder problems
Find BL40. Then work your way around the outside of the leg, staying at the same level, in a small depression next to the biceps tendon.
Entrusting Yang
BL39
stiffness and pain in the back, hip, and knee - clears "heat"
On the back hind leg, in the very center, right behind the knee.
Entrusting Middle
BL40
hip pain, arthritis, dysplasia
In the depression at the top of the triangle (formed with GB29 and GB30) that surrounds the hip joint.
Reaching the Limit
BL54
hindlimb, lower back, ankle pain, difficult labor
In the depression just above the ankle joint, on the outside of the leg, between two bumps.
Kunlun Mountain
BL60
stiff neck, arthritis, ear problems
Run your hand down the outside front leg. You will feel an indentation between the bones that stops at TH5, about a sixth of the distance from wrist to elbow.
Outer Pass
TH5
ear problems
Just below the ear, in a well-defined depression.
Shielding Wind
TH17
ear pain, infection, deafness
In front of the ear (above SI19).
Ear Gate
TH21
dry eye, conjunctivitis, seizures
In a well-defined depression at outside corner of the eyebrow, directly above outside corner of the eye.
Silken Bamboo Hole
TH23
eye problems
In a well-defined depression a short distance from outside corner of the eye.
Pupil Seam
GB1
ear disorders, seizures
In a depression in front of the ear (below SI19 - massage with SI19 and TH21).
Reunion of Hearing
GB2
eye problems, seizures
Above the center point of the eye, at the level of the brow, in a very small depression.
Yang White
GB14
eye redness, seizures - clears "heat" and "wind"
In the nape of the neck, at the base of the skull, immediately behind the back of the ears, find a shallow spot.
Wind Pond
GB20
hip pain, arthritis, dysplasia
The depression in front of the hip joint (forms a triangle with BL54 and GB30).
Between the Bones
GB29
hip pain, arthritis
In the depression behind the hip joint (forms a triangle with BL54 and GB29).
Encircling Leap
GB30
muscle and tendon problems
In a small depression on the outside hind leg, below the knee joint. Find a small bony prominence and let your finger slip down and slightly forward.
Yang Mound Spring
GB34
liver, eye and reproductive disorders, arthritis, irritability
On the inside hind paw, above the innermost toe (not dewclaw). Find a slight depression about a third of the way between the top inside toe and the bottom of the ankle joint. Use broad strokes on the side and front paw area.
Great Impact
LIV3
mastitis - supports the liver
On the side of the body, behind and slightly above the elbow between the 5th and 6th ribs. Count ribs from the last (13th) and move forward.
Gate of Hope
LIV14
abnormal uterine bleeding, urinary incontinence
On a point halfway between the umbilical scar and the front of the pubic bone on the abdominal midline.
Hinge at the Source
CV4
urogenital "damp" problems - supports the kidneys and qi
On the midline of the belly, a little behind the umbilicus.
Sea of Qi
CV6
vomiting, digestive tract problems
On the midline of the belly, halfway between the end of the sternum bone and the umbilicus.
Middle Stomach Cavity
CV12
supports kidneys and back, brings energy and vitality - warming point
On the midline of the back, between the 2nd and 3rd lumbar vertebra.
Life's Fire Gate
GV4
stiff neck - supports immune system
On the midline of the back, where the neck vertebra meet the vertebra of the back. Lifting the head up and down, find the hinged place just in front of the "big" vertebra. Place your finger into the big hole there.
Big Vertebra
GV14
calms the spirit, clears the mind
On top of the head, in a notch just forward of boney protuberance on the midline, between the ears. Use back and forth motion in the notch.
Hundred Meetings
GV20
emergency resuscitation from respiratory arrest, sunstroke, collapse
At the junction where the hairless part of the nose meets the upper lip.
Center of the Upper Lip
GV26
Original article and pictures take www.luckydoghealth.com site
