Does acupuncture hurt?

Acupuncture, as a traditional Chinese medicine, is now receiving more and more attention. This is mainly because the treatment effects of Western medicine on many diseases are indeed not very good, such as cervical spondylosis, facial paralysis, etc. However, if these diseases are treated with Chinese medicine acupuncture, obvious results can be seen. However, many patients are very afraid before using acupuncture to treat diseases, worrying that acupuncture will hurt. This kind of worry is normal, so let us take a closer look at the question of whether acupuncture hurts.

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Does acupuncture hurt? "Generally, acupuncture treatment does not cause pain." Apart from the momentary pain of piercing the skin's epidermis, the "pain" of acupuncture is actually just a needle sensation, that is, a feeling of soreness, numbness, swelling, and heaviness. This is a manifestation of "getting qi", which can be generally understood as acupuncture beginning to take effect on the body.

Nowadays, most acupuncture needles are used, which are the thinnest type of acupuncture needles. If this type of acupuncture is performed skillfully, most patients will not feel much pain. If ordinary filiform needles are used, during acupuncture, you will feel at most a slight pain like an ant bite. Then, as the doctor twists the needle, you will also feel a sore and swollen sensation at the acupuncture site. For some acupoints, you may even feel a numb feeling from the acupuncture site to the nerves somewhere in the body, which means that acupuncture is working. "The magic of acupuncture lies in the fact that a good acupuncturist can not only give you no pain, but can also treat all kinds of pain through acupuncture. For example, there are corresponding acupuncture points on the feet and hands for cervical pain and headaches. As long as the acupuncture points are accurate, the pain will be relieved immediately."

However, some people are born with the tendency to feel pain from acupuncture. Some people feel obvious pain when the needle is inserted, which may be due to their meridian-sensitive constitution. This type of people have a low tolerance for needles and are highly reactive. They already have psychological fear before the needle is inserted. Their excessive mental tension causes their muscles to become tight, and they feel strong pain when the needle is inserted. Patients are advised to relax, take deep breaths, and not focus on the acupuncture. In addition, people who are sensitive to acupuncture can first have the needles tested on the acupuncture points on their hands to allow them to experience and eliminate their fear, which can reduce the intensity of the needle sensation.

Flying needles, ear needles, fire needles, navel needles, abdominal needles... Acupuncturists are like martial arts masters, and different factions use different types of moves and weapons. Wu Jianwen said that the intensity of acupuncture pain varies depending on the type of needle, the method of inserting the needle, the accuracy of positioning, the selected site, etc.

In fact, regardless of whether acupuncture hurts or not, if you need to have acupuncture, it is recommended that you choose a more experienced Chinese medicine practitioner. Not only can they accurately find the acupuncture points that need acupuncture, but they will also try to distract the patient's attention during acupuncture so that the patient does not have too much psychological burden, so that they will not feel the pain of acupuncture! I also wish you a speedy recovery!