Tag Archives: needles

Does acupuncture hurt?

by Mary Beth Huwe

Not usually, and not really.

Firstly, acupuncture needles are completely different from hypodermic needles. In acupuncture, we’re not inserting anything foreign into the body other than the needle itself. Hypodermic needles are hollow so that something can be administered (immunizations, fluids, etc.) or withdrawn (blood.)

Acupuncture needles, by contrast, serve only to stimulate the point into which they are inserted. They don’t insert or remove anything, so they don’t need to be hollow. They are solid, very thin, and flexible.

Secondly, “pain” is more interesting here than in other situations. I promise.

Pain from an acupuncture needle is nothing like other kinds of pain you may think of and want to avoid– stubbing your toe, burning your hand, dry-heaving, or breaking a bone. If there is pain, it usually subsides either instantaneously or very quickly morphs into something else.

That something else is highly personal. People report different sensations regularly – heaviness, tingles, a kind of hum or buzz, warmth, coolness, a flowing feeling, or nothing at all.

In general, there are certain acupuncture points that get a reputation for being sensitive. The tips of the fingers, for example, are not very fleshy and stimulation by an acupuncture needle can be strong for some, but not all, people. Some barely notice – which may or may not be a sign of health. Needles in hips and abdomens often go unremarked-upon.

Furthermore, points are often sensitive when the person has a problem area associated with that point. For example, there’s a point on the hand that is associated with the back of the head and the spine. If I needle it on someone who has occipital neck tension, the point is often very strong and tender. If I’m needling it simply to access the spine and the person’s neck is not especially painful, the point usually goes unnoticed.

Do I have to believe in acupuncture for it to work?

by Mary Beth Huwe

People often ask me if they must “believe” in acupuncture to receive its benefits. The short answer is “no.” Belief is not required in order for the needles to do their work. You don’t have to know what qi is, or that your gallbladder has acupuncture points on your foot. Many people who have experienced great relief initially came to us feeling either very skeptical or completely unsure of the process.

That being said, there are ways you can participate in the healing process, and actually enhance it. This primarily starts when you begin connecting the dots between your acupuncture treatment and how you feel when you’re not on the table. Similar to exercise and meditation, acupuncture increases a person’s physical and mental awareness – both as independent forces (“Wow, my balance is better. Wow, my mind is clearer,”) and as related entities (“Gee, when I feel anxious, my stomach is also upset.”)

We also notice that people accelerate and enhance their healing when they rid themselves of the negative things in their lives – whether it’s giving up fast-food, getting out of a moldy house, leaving an unfulfilling job, or dropping a miserable relationship. Each of these things powerfully reinjures the qi on a daily basis. Removing such things from one’s life is a powerful augmentation of acupuncture’s benefits.

You can also sabotage your progress. This is quite common in the beginning; people unintentionally run themselves down after they start feeling good again. It can take a little practice, getting used to managing the renewed sense of health. But it’s worth doing; otherwise it’s kind of like winning the lottery and blowing it all – fun, but ultimately a bummer.

And sometimes – this is a bit more complicated – people unconsciously slow their progress because they’re actually more comfortable feeling terrible than feeling great. It’s like the old saying, “the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.” A familiar routine is comforting, and changing that routine can be frightening … even if you hate the routine. Acupuncture can be very helpful in untangling this kind of pattern.