Acupuncture is a treatment used to ease chronic pain, mainly on the back and on the neck. It was traditionally used by the Chinese and it has been lauded as one of the most effective remedies when performed by a trained expert. It involves the introduction of sterilized needles into the body, mostly by piercing through the skin, with an aim of stimulating certain points of the section of the body that hurts. It has been praised as a safe pain healing technique. Most research has shown that unless unsterilized needles are used – which may lead to infection, there are not any other side effects associated with acupuncture.
Is Acupuncture really painful?
Many people are often reluctant to choose acupuncture because they believe that it is a painful procedure. However, this is a misplaced conception as it is actually aimed to relieve pain. In this context, it involves insignificant pain compared to the chronic pain it is aimed at relieving. When performed by experts, it should never hurt except for the exact moment when the sterilized needles pierce through the skin.
Which pain can acupuncture treat?
Acupuncture can be used to treat chronic back and neck pain. Recent studies have also shown that it can be used in the treatment and control of pains associated with chemotherapy. Given the extent of the chronic pain that individuals seeking acupuncture undergo, and how serious their hurting is, the pain to be expected from these procedures is almost insignificant. In this regard, the process should be safe and almost painless.
What causes pain and other side effects during and after acupuncture procedures?
To be assured of the safety of the acupuncture procedure, anyone seeking it should consider ensuring that whoever performing the procedure is fully trained, experienced and licensed to perform it. Being a relatively new procedure, there are few individuals who can perform the procedure as safely as it should. It should be noted that most complaints of pain are reported in cases when inexperiened individuals perform the procedure. When acupuncture is performed by inexperienced and/or untrained individuals, there is a very high risk of pain and other side effects. Therefore, the safest way to go is to seek a trained and experienced acupuncturist to help you out.