Your body has an amazing ability to heal and improve itself and acupressure points are one way it does this.
Along with ear acupressure points, your body also has hand acupressure points and points in the back which can help with pain relief. The build-up of pain over the day may be unbearable but the body has these built-in mechanisms to help deal with any ailments and issues that are causing discomfort.
What Are Acupressure Points?
These are multiple points in the body that can help reduce pain when pressure is applied to them. Among the most obvious spots are the temples which many people just instinctively start to rub whenever they are experiencing a headache or migraine.
This is what acupressure points are, and if you ever hit your elbow or knee on a table, you notice that you will start to automatically rub it. This is the pressure point relief in action and subconsciously we are tuned in to dealing with pain ourselves.
The best way to look at this is to consider the body in the same context as a house. A house has miles of electrical wiring throughout it with various electrical outlets spread over it. The human body is similar, and all the body is interconnected.
An example of this is the feet where pressure points there can help treat migraines. The electrical outlets, in this case, are the pressure points throughout the body such as the temples, hands, feet, back, and ears. Applying pressure to each of these areas can help with certain conditions, ailments, and pain relief.
Acupuncture is an ancient, and popular way to create relief from pain and other ailments, but it might not be for everyone. The prospect of the needles might seem kind of daunting and it might be something you want to build up to. Acupressure is a great, and simple, way to get the similar effects of acupuncture.
How To Perform Acupressure
To perform this self-healing procedure you want to apply firm, but unpainful, pressure on the area. With the ears, you want to either press the specific areas firmly with your index finger or use that finger to massage the area. Some parts, such as the earlobe, will require you to use the thumb and forefinger to apply the pressure.
The important thing is to allow yourself to relax in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing throughout the treatment. You can apply your own treatment as many times as you wish throughout the day. This is also something that someone else can do for you.
The massage motion can be circular, or a simple up and down movement. You might find that massaging for 20-30 seconds is helpful but going for a few minutes at a time is not a problem.
How Do Acupressure Points Work?
The knowledge regarding the relief of pain by applying pressure to these areas goes back to Chinese medicine. The intent here is to help restore balance in the body and these points help to achieve this. When pressure, or force, is applied to these areas it allows the body to release endorphins that we know as the feel-good chemicals.
The pressure to these points also releases serotonin which not only improves mood but when combined with endorphins, acts as a natural painkiller. This is why massage is such a powerful tool to heal and relax the body.
Since there are hundreds of these areas in the body, let’s look at six acupressure points on your ear and see which ailments and issues they can help with.
1. Windscreen
We find this area on the ear right behind the earlobe. It’s a soft, delicate area, so it does not require a lot of pressure – but benefits well from a massaging motion using the thumb and forefinger. We can apply massage in a clockwise motion or just hold pressure on the area to be effective.
Massaging this area of the ear is seen to help when the ears have a stuffed up feeling. There are many things that can cause the ears to feel stuffed including altitude pressure and head colds but sometimes it can’t be explained.
Massaging this point may also help provide relief from tension headaches and migraines and the area is also seen to be effective to help relieve tinnitus.
2. Ear Gate
This is a specific area of the ear found directly in front of where the ear lobe begins. Pressure using a single finger can be enough to engage in this area. This is what is helpful about focussing on acupressure points – you can provide the massage motion on your ear yourself.
The ear gate point is one that helps to relieve pressure not only in the ear area but also any discomfort being experienced in the jaw.
We can connect pain and discomfort in the jaws and ears to quite a few different conditions including:
- Tinnitus
- Ear infections
- Earache
- Tension headache
- Migraine
Giving treatment to the ear gate area could make it effective in treating these five things.
3. Daith
Many know this acupressure point of the ear but more to do with having it pierced. Some get their daith pierced because they like the way it looks, others do it because it stimulates an area that can help treat migraines.
The daith part of the ear is located at the top part of the innermost cartilage of the outer ear. The daith can be a trickier area to treat and that’s why some prefer to get a piercing there. With the daith, you’re looking at a pressure point that is all about headache relief.
Stimulating this area can help relieve pain from various types of headaches including:
- Tension headaches
- Cluster headaches
- Migraines
4. Ear Apex
Of all the acupressure points of the ear, the ear apex may be the most important. This is a popular place to perform acupuncture, but the area lends itself well to acupressure. We locate the ear apex right on the cartridge at the highest point of the top of your ear (if you’re Spock, this will be easier to find…).
They consider this area one of the “auricular” points of the ear that are used for acupuncture but in either case, it’s another key area to treat headaches. Stimulating this area of the ear will help with migraines and tension headaches. It is also an important area for treating earaches themselves.
Again, since it’s such a delicate area, like the rest of the ear, it only requires a minimal effort to massage and treat it.
5. Point Zero
This area of the ear is just above the ear hole where the hard part of the cartridge descends into the ear. It’s a tougher portion so requires some firmer pressure but this is an area that is connected with calmness. Stimulating this point zero area helps in keeping you grounded, combating anxiety, and promoting that sense of calm.
6. Sympathetic Autonomic
To find this area it will be on the inside of the inner flap at the top of the ear before it rounds outward at the top. Pressure or massage, applied to this area helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
This is the system that helps the body to relax but it has trouble becoming engaged due to high-stress levels. The sympathetic autonomic will specifically induce a relaxation response which can help to promote better sleep, improve mood, and combat anxiety.
Final Thoughts
With all the different acupressure points in the body, you don’t want to neglect the ears. It’s the simplest area to treat and can also be one of the most effective. The ear is small but contains these various acupressure points that can bring on relief specifically from headaches.
These areas are also effective at dealing with ailments like tinnitus and ear infection and can promote calmness, relaxation, and improved sleep and recovery.
References:
- https://www.healthline.com/
- https://exploreim.ucla.edu/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/
Thank you