When it comes to our health, there’s not a treatment, tincture or trend we won’t try. So, when we heard about auricular acupuncture—essentially "ear acupuncture" therapy with a host of benefits including improved sleep and digestion—we had to give it a try.
Offered at a variety of clinics nationwide, we found our experts at Qi Integrated Health in Vancouver, where acupuncture specialist Julie Nelson led us to a Zen-beautiful treatment room to launch our appointment with a full health assessment that touched on our diet, lifestyle, health issues, etc. Determining our spleen was out of balance (too much coffee, red wine and chocolate, perhaps?), she took to the needles, targeting our feet, shins and, yes, one in each ear. The concept may seem odd, but we learned that our ears (like our feet) are connected to every aspect of our body. By poking a needle in the exact corresponding "spot" you can target everything from the adrenal glands to the thyroid.
After lying still for a few minutes (on a delicious heated bed), Nelson removed the needles and taped a tiny "seed" in each ear—these are meant to continue the acupuncture benefits over the next few days before they naturally fall out. She also gave us a healthy eating plan to aid our poor spleen.
So good was this treatment, we’ll wager it’s only a matter of time before sporting seeds becomes the new cup marks. Cue the red carpet patrol now. —Aurea Dempsey
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