Does Acupuncture hurt?
Acupuncture needles are thinner than a human hair, and insertion of the needles is generally painless. Patients report sensations including tingling, deep pressure, achiness, heaviness, or nothing at all. Some patients feel sensations of ‘energy’ running throughout the body or into the area being treated. We focus on making our treatment painless and relaxing, so if you feel any pain or discomfort, just tell us, and we will modify your treatment.
You may not feel anything, or you may feel a brief sensation when the needles are inserted. Acupuncture needles are extremely thin – typically between 32-40 gauge much smaller than hypodermic needles used to give injections. After a needle is inserted you may feel an energetic sensation at the point, but it should not be painful. In fact, patients often fall asleep while they are left to rest during treatment.
It should hurt just a little bit but nothing like injection or withdrawing blood. Once the needles are inserted at the right acupuncture points with the right stimulation, the patient should feel some soreness, cramping, heaviness or tingling sensation around the needle. This feeling can also move along its own meridian (i.e. energy pathway). Summing it up, if you do experience discomfort in an acupuncture treatment session, it should be mild.
A. Some people say that acupuncture is a sublimely relaxing experience. Some people have it done regularly for the same reason many people get regular massages—to relax and feel rejuvenated! Some say you don’t feel the needles at all. And some say that it feels like a tiny mosquito bite. When many people think of needles, what often comes to mind are the big syringes used for taking blood, or perhaps painful memories of being poked and tested in the hospital. Acupuncture needles are very different! They are hair-fine! I have treated many patients who fear needles yet derive lots of benefit from acupuncture treatment. Consider this, if you have a real needle phobia, you wouldn’t even be reading this website! Acupuncture needles are very fine. Acupuncture needles are often described as being not much thicker than a human hair. Insertion of the needle is usually completely painless, although occasionally you might feel something—depending on what is being treated and the needle technique
Acupuncture (the insertion of very fine needles to promote the flow of energy within the body) is a balancing technique purported to restore the body to optimal health. The classical Chinese explanation is that channels of energy run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. These channels, called meridians, are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues, blood flow and nervous pulses also follow meridians to run through the body to various parts, structures and organs. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers are like a dam that backs up the flow in one part of the body and restricts it in others. Any obstruction and blockages or deficiencies of energy, blood and nervous pulses would eventually lead to disease. Needling the acupuncture points can influence the meridians: the acupuncture needles unblock the obstruction at the dams, and reestablish the regular flow through the meridians. Acupuncture treatments can therefore hel
