What
happens when you have acupuncture?
Needle
insertion.
Needling
sensation.
Belief.
Painless
acupuncture by Dr. J. N. Shah.
What
happens when you have acupuncture?
(Extracted
from: Acupuncture - Its place in western medical science, Thorsons publishing
group)
some people are frightened by the thought of acupuncture and may feel that it takes a great deal of courage to inflict 'the needles' on themselves. The first, and probably the most important fact to understand about acupuncture, is that it is not a frightening experience. It does involve the insertion of fine needles through the skin, and most acupuncturists use between six and eight acupuncture needles at each treatment session. The needles used are smaller than injection needles, in fact an acupuncture needle fits into the central hole of a normal injection needle. Acupuncture needles have a doweled end, not a cutting end like most hypodermic needles, and therefore are far less likely to cause tissue damage or bruising when inserted.
Needle
insertion
the
insertion of an acupuncture needle is not a painful experience. Patients
sometimes sit with eyes closed and teeth clenched asking, 'When are you
going to put the needles in?', and are often surprised to learn that the
needles are in place before they have finished asking the question. It
would be wrong to suppose that the insertion of an acupuncture needle is
devoid of any sensation, but those who experience acupuncture do not usually
describe it as a painful sensation.
Needling
sensation
the
Chinese state that if acupuncture is to achieve its maximum effect it is
necessary for the acupuncturist to obtain a 'needling sensation', over
each acupuncture point that is used. This involves the needle being moved
slightly while it is in the skin, and the sensation experienced by the
patient will vary. Needling sensation is not painful but it is a dull,
bursting or numb sensation around the site of the inserted needle. The
sensation may also travel up or down the channel being treated; the stimulation
of an acupuncture point on the right knee may precipitate the experience
of a strange burning or numb sensation in the right ankle. Needling sensation
is probably best defined by the statement, 'When needling sensation is
experienced the needle no longer feels like a needle!' Some acupuncturists
use an electrical stimulator to excite acupuncture points as a substitute
for obtaining needling sensation. Electro - acupuncture causes a tingling
sensation over the acupuncture points that are being stimulated, but the
Chinese believe that this does not replace the need to obtain needling
sensation. If the stimulator is mistakenly turned to a very high intensity
then the patient will experience some discomfort, so it is wise to be cautious
when using electrical stimulators, and to adjust the intensity slowly and
carefully.
Belief
another
common misconception is that patients must 'believe' in acupuncture to
enable it to work. This is similar to the idea that acupuncture is a complex
form of suggestibility, but this is quite wrong. Like any other type of
medicine acupuncture works on those who believe in it and those who do
not. The mechanism of acupuncture is not clearly understood but, as has
already been mentioned, it is quite clear that reproducible biological
changes occur when an acupuncture needle penetrates the skin. Whilst accepting
that all medical treatment is more effective if the doctor is trusted by
the patient, this trust is not a prerequisite for the physiological changes
that occur during and after acupuncture.
Painless
acupuncture by Dr. J. N. Shah
with
the advent of Laser & High frequency current, the acupuncture points
are stimulated externally on the skin surfaces which penetrate the skin
without pain & bring about desired results as no needles are used.