Eastern medicinal practices have promoted the benefits of acupuncture to the human body for centuries. Due to the presence of much criticism and the amount of negative press regarding the legitimacy of the practice in the popular media, many people dismiss the idea of having this procedure performed on themselves as an absurd idea. What can be expected from the acupuncture, as well as side effects and limits are unknown by the majority of people.
Procedures of Chinese acupuncture are actually well refined, as they have been practiced for many years. Even in today's medically advanced world, the practice has been determined as a safe, effective treatment for some people with disorders that have been a burden for years. Here is an outline of what can be expected from the acupuncture procedure as well as limits and side effects:
Acupuncture starts with the use of sterile needles, today made almost exclusively of stainless steel. The needles sterilization is done with ethylene oxide, which can be used on the needles without damaging their construction. The needles are coated on the top with a wire that allows for a better grip by the acupuncturist when placing them about the body.
Using an acupuncturing reference model that likely includes a diagram of needle insertion locations on the human body based on the type of treatment, the acupuncturist will start the procedure by placing needles in the patient's skin. A particular treatment may require a cluster of a couple dozen needles in a few places on the body, while a full body treatment may require the placing of hundreds of needles.
Moxibustion, a process in which the needles are heated after being placed in the skin, may also be required for some acupuncture treatments. The needles will be heated by the acupuncturist using burning herbs. It is common for the herbs to be located on the end of the needle extending from the skin and burned after the needle's insertion. The heat provides therapy to the tissue inside the body in contact with the needle.
From the nature of this procedure, acupuncture is classified as an invasive treatment with some risks. About 3 out of 100 people experience the most common risk - minor bleeding from the site of the procedure. Often, the bleeding will stop within one minute of removing the needle from the skin, but this differs between patients.
There are also some less common, but more serious, risks involved, such as hematoma, or bruising below the skin at the treatment site, dizziness arising from fear of needles or anxiety, very rare instances of nerve injury, brain damage, lung or kidney damage from mistakenly placed needles, and the slight chance of miscarriage in very specific treatment.
Despite the risks, acupuncture has benefits to the body. Though it cannot relieve every disorder, it can be used to relieve common tension headaches, some tension in lower back pains, nausea and vomiting, and some lower symptomatic forms of fibromyalgia. Because of these known benefits, and some other perceived ones, like the relief of stress and tension throughout the body, acupuncture is a viable treatment option. Knowing what you can expect from the acupuncture procedure as well as the side effects and limits can benefit you as a patient in the long run.
