In acupuncture, the ear is used in preference to the hand or the foot, but the principle of these body parts being microsystems are the same. A tender area in the ear suggest that the corresponding area of the body point needs to be treated and it may also imply that there is an underlying disorder at the corresponding area. For example, if a patient has a stomach-ache, inserting a single needle in the ear’s stomach point may be an appropriate form of treatment.
For smokers and dieters, ear studs can be used as a form of self-help. Every time the patient has a craving for a cigarette or is hungry, the patient simply has to gently massage the ear stud for about ten seconds with his finger until the craving or hunger disappears.