Acupuncture: FAQ
Q: Is it safe?
A: A systematic review was done of 202 acupuncture case studies. The authors of this review concluded that “if clean needle procedures and proper needling techniques are followed, acupuncture appears to be a safe medical procedure with minimal adverse reactions.”
Article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK69580/
In general, acupuncture is considered safe when performed by a well-trained, experienced practitioner using sterile needles and proper technique.
Q: Does it work?
A: There have been extensive clinical studies conducted to evaluate acupuncture as a treatment for various conditions. This research suggests that acupuncture is effective at treating certain chronic pain conditions including back pain, neck pain, knee pain, osteoarthritis, and both tension and migraine headaches. Acupuncture was also found to be effective treating dental pain, menstrual cramps, certain respiratory diseases such as allergic rhinitis, and nausea and vomiting occurring after surgery or induced by chemotherapy. More clinical studies are being conducted to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture treating multiple other conditions.
Below is a published article that is a systematic review of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for chronic pain. The authors concluded that, “Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain and is therefore a reasonable referral option.”
Article: Vickers AJ, Cronin AM, Maschino AC, et al. Acupuncture for chronic pain: individual patient data meta-analysis. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2012;172(19):1444–1453.
Q: How long do I need to keep having treatments?
A: Every patient is different so your treatment session will be tailored specifically for you after evaluation by your acupuncture practitioner. For general purposes, a patient may have a short-term treatment plan that involves 1-2 acupuncture sessions per week for about a month to treat a single complaint. Once the complaint is resolved or improved, the patient may discontinue acupuncture treatments and then return for more treatments if the symptom recurs. Other patients who have severe symptoms or complex conditions may need more treatments for a longer duration to improve the patient’s health.
Q: How many needles are we talking?
A: Your acupuncture practitioner may use between 5-20 needles in a typical treatment.
Q: Does it hurt?
A: The needles are very thin, so insertion usually causes minimal discomfort. Some patients report not feeling the needles inserted at all. Acupuncture needles are inserted to various depths at strategic therapeutic points on your body determined by your practitioner. These strategic points may actually be in a different area of your body than the location of your medical condition or symptoms. You may feel a mild ache when a needle reaches the correct depth. Your practitioner may gently move the needles with their fingers or apply heat or mild electrical pulses to the needles after insertion. In most cases, the needles remain in place for about 10 - 20 minutes while you relax lying still. Patients usually report no discomfort when the needles are removed.
DISCLAIMER: Persons having conditions and/or receiving treatments that may pose a risk to participating in complementary therapies should obtain medical clearance from their physician prior to partaking in these services. Please consult your medical physician if you have any condition or concern that might place you at risk for harm.