Page 15 - Acupuncture explanation electronic version_Neat

Does acupuncture hurt?

When most people think “needle”, they think of the

much larger hypodermic needle used to give them

inoculations as a child (and it looked even BIGGER

when we were small children). An acupuncture needle is

about as thin as a human hair. The needles are sterile

and used only one time and then disposed of as medical

waste.

Ordinarily the needles do not hurt. Once in a while,

one of the needles brushes by a nerve and it becomes

uncomfortable. The patient is instructed to tell me that a

specific needle is uncomfortable. That needle is

removed. The discomfort goes away in a few seconds

and a fresh needle is reinserted a millimeter away into a

spot that is more comfortable.

One of the goals of an acupuncture treatment is to

make you so comfortable and relaxed that you can have

a nice restful nap during the treatment.