There are few high quality studies about ear seeds and other forms of auriculotherapy.
However, the few that do exist suggest ear seeds may be beneficial for certain conditions, especially when used alongside other treatments. More research is needed to fully explore the benefits and side effects.
Low back painA 2023 study examined the use of ear seeds in people with persistent low back pain following spinal surgery.
Fifty-six participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first group had ear seeds placed on points associated with low back pain, while the second group received a placebo.
Researchers discovered the ear seeds group experienced significantly reduced back pain, significantly improved neuropathy, and improved deep sleep after 5 weeks. They concluded that ear seeds in auricular acupressure were a safe and noninvasive treatment option for chronic pain.
However, while the findings are promising, the researchers acknowledged that further research is necessary.
Weight lossA 2019 study investigated the efficacy of auricular acupressure in reducing obesity in adolescents.
Fifty eight participants were randomly divided into an experimental group that received auricular acupressure with ear seeds or a control group that received placebo acupressure.
Over 8 weeks, the experimental group demonstrated significant reductions in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared to the control group. The study concluded that auricular acupressure is effective in improving cholesterol levels in obese adolescents.
However, further research is needed to understand the broader applicability of these findings to other groups.
Labor painA 2020 study assessed the effects of ear and body acupressure on labor pain and the duration of labor.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either body acupressure, ear acupressure with ear seeds, or routine care.
The study concluded that both methods reduced labor pain compared to routine care, with ear acupressure also significantly shortening the duration of active labor.
However, further research with larger sample sizes is needed to support these findings.
DepressionA 2021 study investigated the effects of auricular acupressure on stress, anxiety, and depression among outpatient nurses.
The researchers randomly divided 54 nurses into two groups. An experimental group received real auricular acupressure with ear seeds, and the other control group received placebo acupressure.
Over 5 weeks, the experimental group showed significant reductions in depression scores and increases in serotonin levels compared to the control group. The study concluded that auricular acupressure effectively alleviates depression, but not stress and anxiety, in outpatient nurses.
However, additional, longer-term research is required to confirm the effects of ear seeds on stress.