If you’ve been a patient of ours, you’ll know that we start every treatment with a few ear acupuncture points on each side. They can feel “spicy” or like quick zingers you may feel in your whole body. This is a good thing and means the treatment is working!

Ear acupuncture is an effective treatment since it works to activate the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” mode of the nervous system). It’s also known as the “wandering nerve” because it innervates (connects to) every single organ in the body. The vagus nerve also connects with…you guessed it…the ear!

So when we stimulate the ear with acupuncture, we are accessing the vagus nerve to help the body directly tap into a “rest and digest” nervous system state that helps all the organs of the body function optimally.