🐝 Would You Get Stung by a Bee on Purpose?

My husband isn’t scared of much, but when he sees anything resembling a bee, wasp, or hornet, everyone has to know about it.

That’s how I know they make him nervous. Reallllly nervous.

I, on the other hand, am all, “Oh, let it sting me. No big deal.” I’ve been stung before and didn’t have a reaction to the venom. Plus, after birthing three 10+ pound babies, what’s a little bee sting (to someone who’s not allergic like me, I should add)?

Not that I’m asking for it, of course. I’m just not personally worried about the situation.

Am I going out of my way to get stung, though? Absolutely not.

I learned today, however that some people do — in a therapy called “bee venom acupuncture” or apitherapy.

The use of bee products as a complementary medicine has been used for centuries across various cultures to treat and prevent illnesses. Bee venom acupuncture, specifically, incorporates bee venom into acupuncture treatment, employing either the venom-coated needles, extracted stingers, or live bees directly on acupoints (Cherniack & Govorushko, 2018).

This method utilizes bee venom's anti-inflammatory properties, which include compounds like melittin and apamin, to treat various musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. Although effective in small-scale studies for conditions such as knee osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even neurological disorders like stroke and Parkinson’s Disease, it has also shown potential in managing depression.

However, the use of bee venom is not without risks. It contains pro-inflammatory substances and can trigger severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, which has been fatal in some cases (a 55-year-old woman in Spain died from bee venom acupuncture in 2018, for example).

Despite these dangers, the number of reported adverse effects remains low, say Cherniack & Govorushko, suggesting a potential for safer application through refining and possibly removing the harmful elements. As research progresses, new applications for bee venom acupuncture are being considered, promising a broader scope for this natural therapy.

Would you try bee venom acupuncture? We’re curious to know!

Note: We’re not advocating for, nor against, apitherapy and bee venom acupuncture. As always, nothing we share in this newsletter is to be taken as medical advice but for educational purposes only.

Know Any Students Taking Exams This Month? Gift Them Ear Seeds

As exam season ramps up for students of all ages, one UK acupuncturist is extending a unique form of stress relief to local college students. Ruth Irving utilizes ear seeds, a traditional Chinese Medicine technique, to help alleviate the anxiety associated with exam preparations.

These small seeds are fixed onto the ear via an adhesive sticker at specific acupuncture points, offering a discreet and easy method for students to manage stress. The seeds can be worn for up to a week and are simple to press throughout the day to activate the benefits of the acupuncture point.

Auricular acupressure actually has scientific backing when it comes to anxiety reduction in students who use it.

A study by Lee and Park (2023) explored whether auricular acupressure, a type of ear pressure therapy, could help nursing students manage their anxiety during exams. Fifty-eight students participated, divided into two groups: one received real acupressure at points known to affect anxiety, while the other received placebo treatment at non-effective points.

The results showed that students who received the real acupressure experienced a significant reduction in exam-related anxiety. This suggests that auricular acupressure might be particularly effective for easing the stress students feel specifically around exam time.

So pay it forward and…

The Key to Ear Acupressure at Home: Knowing Where to Apply Pressure

Our favorite app shows you just where to press (or apply ear seeds)

The usage of DIY ear acupressure, especially through the use of ear seeds that you buy and stick to your ears, seems to be increasing each year. With roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine, it’s a home “remedy” or "therapy” that seems to good to be true.

But study after study has documented the benefits of auricular acupressure for a whole bunch of different conditions, from headaches and migraines to ADHD to constipation to sleep apnea. There’s also research to suggest it can aid in weight loss.

With the ear as a microcosm of the body, however, it’s important to understand that different points of the ear correspond to different body parts and systems. Don’t quiz me on where is where or what is what!

I’m not a healthcare professional, so I point people interested in ear seeding to Auriculo 360, an app with a 3D ear that you can rotate, zoom, expand, and move as you compare it to your own ear and plot those ear seeds onto it yourself (or with help from a friend or loved one).

Not convinced you need this tool yet? Click below to learn more about why it’s an essential app for your ear pressing routine (and to get access to a free 30-day trial!):

Summer is almost here, and my family likes to spend hours on end, particularly on the weekends, walking outside, getting our Vitamin D and our 10,000 (more like 25,000 some days) steps in.

We’re not big sunscreen wearers for a few reasons, but if we’re going to be out midday for an extended period of time (especially our redheaded boys), we reach for the SPF 50 mineral sunscreen by Young Living.

The “why” on sunscreen hesitancy for some:

Thank you for subscribing to The Pressure Point Pulse! Please take a look at our primary website, myearseeds.com, and let us know if there’s anything we can do for you!

Sources:

Cherniack, E. P., & Govorushko, S. (2018). To bee or not to bee: The potential efficacy and safety of bee venom acupuncture in humans. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology, 154, 74–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.09.013

Lee, E., & Park, J. (2023). Effect of Acupressure on Pre-Exam Anxiety in Nursing Students. Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine, 29(5), 158-163.