Does Acupuncture Hurt?

 The burning question we receive at our clinic "Does an acupuncture treatment hurt?". Whether the patient is afraid of needles,  or just curious about thew process, this is the number 1 question are team receives on a weekly basis at Dynamic Training & Rehabilitation.

Acupuncture is relatively painless. Some people are reluctant to try it because it involves the use of needles. However, the needles are very small and fine- about the thickness of a cat’s whisker and typically you will not notice the needles being inserted. Depending on the area of the body and the person, you may experience minor discomfort when the needle is first inserted, a feeling like a bee sting or a pinch. However, a skilled acupuncturist is very good at gentle insertion and minimizing discomfort. In fact, acupuncture can be a deeply relaxing, pleasant experience.

Most patients who have had acupuncture would describe it as virtually painless or far less painful than plucking out a hair. The sensations that follow range from nothing at all, to mild tingling, to slight numbness/achiness, to electrical pulsations in areas distant from the site of insertion. All these sensations usually subside once the needles are removed. The needles used for acupuncture are much smaller that the standard hypodermic needle, do not draw blood and are solid, not hollow.

The team at Dynamic Training & Rehabilitation utilize a painless needle insertion technique for optimal results.

 Acupuncture is most effective for relief of acute pain, including low back pain. Both the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health have noted that acupuncture may be a helpful part of a treatment plan for illnesses that include addiction (such as alcoholism), carpal tunnel syndrome, facial tics, fibromyalgia, headaches, osteoarthritis, stroke rehabilitation, tendinitis, tennis elbow, and urinary problems such as incontinence.

You can safely combine acupuncture with prescription drugs and other conventional treatments, but it is important for your primary care physician to be aware of and to monitor how your acupuncture treatment may be affecting your conventional therapies.

The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture also lists a wide range of conditions for which acupuncture can be used. In addition to those already mentioned above, the group recommends acupuncture for sports injuries, sprains, strains, whiplash, neck pain, sciatica, nerve pain due to compression, overuse syndromes similar to carpal tunnel syndrome, pain resulting from spinal cord injuries, anxiety, and many other disorders.

Want to learn more? Contact our health care team today at 905-637-4934 to book your complimentary assessment and learn more how acupuncture in conjunction with other manual therapies can get you out of pain and enjoy a better life!