I’ll bet. When we talk about acupuncture, first thing that comes to your mind are the long scary needles penetrating through your skin. Then, after flashing a horrible face and raising an eyebrow, the million dollar question follows: Does acupuncture hurt?
Yes, if the needle you have in mind are the standard hypodermic needles used in hospitals to inject medications and withdraw blood. But that’s not the one being used in acupuncture therapy.
Needles used in acupuncture are 25-50 times thinner than those. Twice the size of a hair strand, it is sometimes termed filament as needles have been stereotyped as pain causing device. Left in place for 20 to 40 minutes, it causes nothing to little sensitivity upon insertion followed by a mild but very quick sensation of cramping, tingling, numbness, traveling warmth, or heaviness – all of which are very rare.
Generally speaking, it shouldn’t hurt. But it depends on case-to-case basis.
First to consider is the location of points. Slight discomfort may be felt for the majority of points where the needle is tapped and inserted. Sharp transient sensation may be felt for a few number of points and can be aggravated by further needle manipulation. Sensitive areas include the finger, toes and back of the hand, and points near the palm and soles and scalp; therefore, discomforts are commonly expected there.
It may also depend on the person per se receiving the therapy. A point that is normally not needle-sensitive maybe sensitive to other people. Though this may indicate a blood vessel or nerve is hit, the discomfort should disappear as the needle is withdrawn and reinserted at a different angle. Mild tingling, slight numbness, electrical pulsations in areas distant from the insertion site subside as soon as the needles are removed.
It is interesting to note that a majority of people do not feel any pain or discomfort neither when the needle penetrates the skin nor when it is advanced to proper depth. They’re astounded by how much it doesn’t hurt and is rather relaxing.
You may not even know that the needle is already ‘in’ if your acupuncturist does it very swiftly but skillfully. Other say it’s less painful than a hair being plucked out. Some say it’s very relaxing like a massage and found themselves become more comfortable than they were before the treatment.
If you have phobia with needles, ask your acupuncturist to use thinner needles; if you can’t still tolerate, then maybe acupuncture is not really for you. Answering your ‘Does acupuncture hurt?” question won’t help either.
Acupuncture may effectively treat health conditions that do not respond to other forms of medical intervention. Though its therapeutic effects remain debatable nowadays, there are many people out there who attribute the relief of pain they experience from the therapy itself.
The therapeutic effects of acupuncture definitely outweigh that temporary discomfort one may feel during the procedure, which is rare so to speak.
Acupuncture therapy promotes health and may help alleviate pain, not to induce it. Discover how pleasant the experience is even though most of us hate needles. Sooner, you’re going to love needles more than you hate them.
The next time somebody asks you, “Does acupuncture hurt?” you now know what to reply best.
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