Common questions about acupuncture Needles.
We get a lot of questions regarding acupuncture needles. In a new patient appointment, I like to show clients what a needle looks like and exactly how thin they are. Here are answers to common questions about the needles in case you were wondering before committing to coming in for a treatment or if you were just curious!
What are the needles made of?
Stainless steel. There are some needles made of silver or gold plated, however they are not often used.
How big / long are the needles?
When someone says the word needle, many different images can come to mind: a syringe / hypodermic needle, a sewing needle or an acupuncture needle.
All 3 are very different.
Syringes are needed to inject medication, so they need to be big enough to be a hollow tube. Sewing needles need to be wide enough at one end for thread to pass through. Acupuncture needles only require solid filaments to be inserted into the body and therefore can be incredibly thin, approximately the size of an eyebrow hair. They are so thin that acupuncturists often use a guide tube to insert the needle.
Similar to syringes and sewing needles, acupuncture needles have various gauges (width) and lengths. For example, we wouldn't use the same needle for an acupuncture point on the ear as we would on the rear.
Here at Wild Blossom Acupuncture in Madison, WI, the needle size we use most of the time is 0.18mm diameter by 1 inch length. For comparison, a common syringe size is 25 gauge / 0.53mm to 18 gauge / 1.27mm. (When it comes to the gauge of a needle, the larger the gauge, the thinner the needle). So a syringe is anywhere between 5 - 10 bigger in diameter than the typical acupuncture needle.
At our clinic we also use Pyronex needles, which I lovingly call "to-go" needles. These are the same tiny gauge / width, however they are incredibly short (0.6mm) and are attached to medical tape with plastic so that it's all one piece. These needles are used during the treatment for a few reasons:
If someone is extra sensitive or worried about the needles.
If we want the patient to move a particular part of their body and want to place a needle there.
Even for the client to wear home for a few days to continue the treatment after the session.
When these types of needles are worn home, clients don't feel them and can continue to workout, shower and live life as normal. If the needles are felt, then they are removed at that time.
Are the needles sterile?
Yes! The needles come in pre-sterilized packs of 1, 5, or 10 needles.
Do you reuse the needles?
No. All used and any unused needles are placed in a red biohazard sharps container. The needles themselves are very thin and therefore do not create a lot of waste. Sterilizing the needles can also dull the tip of the needle. The sharper the needle, the less likely it is to be felt on insertion. The duller the needle, the more likely it is to be felt. Overall, for safety and comfort acupuncture needles are only ever used once.
What is on the acupuncture needles?
There is actually nothing on the acupuncture needle other than the solid metal of the needle itself. Meaning there is no "medicine" that is being inserted into your body. This is how dry needling got its name, nothing is being injected as opposed to wet needling. (To understand more about acupuncture versus dry needling, check out this post). The needle itself and where it is placed is what triggers the healing process in the body.
How deep do you place the needles?
This depends on several factors. There are many wonderful points located on the ear. Since there isn't a lot of flesh here, the needles are placed very shallow. If we're trying to release a trigger point in a gluteus muscle on the butt, then the needles are placed deeper. (If the idea of having a needle placed in your glutes is enough to turn you off acupuncture, please know that they're are many different styles of acupuncture. We never have to put a needle somewhere you don't want. One thing I love about this medicine is that it is a collaborative effort and there are many different options for treatment.)
Where do you place the needles?
Point location is where the magic of the treatment happens! There are so many styles of acupuncture that guide us on what points would be best for someone on a specific day of treatment. Needles can be placed either in the area of pain or not. At our clinic, both Kathryn and Mary use some form of body feedback to decide which points to use. This could be through:
Palpating the different acupuncture meridians / channels.
Pressing on reflex areas.
Pressing on acupuncture points to see which ones decrease local pain with pressure or movement.
Testing how various points change the pulse.
With these styles, we tend not to place the needles in the specific area of pain, instead opting somewhere else.
Sometimes adding needles into the area of pain, called trigger point needling or dry needling can provide relief.
Most of the time I place needles on the arms from the elbows down, legs from the knees down and back. That said, there are also great points on the head, ears and abdomen.
Essentially, we have options in order to accommodate a patient's preference. If you are the patient, this is YOUR treatment. If there are any points or areas that you don't want needled, we will always respect your boundaries and have other options.
Do the needles hurt?
For the most part no. Sometimes the insertion of the needle can be felt like a pinch or a mosquito bite. If this happens, it will pass in 2 seconds or less. If it doesn't pass, we simply ask that you let us know so that we can adjust the needle so that it is comfortable.
Most patients find themselves in a deep state of relaxation during the treatment. Some patients will experience mild but strange sensations during the treatment. These could include:
A dull achiness or heaviness either at the needle site or whole body.
A sense of warmth or coolness at the acupuncture point.
An internal sense of movement or tingling
Again, most clients feel a deep sense of calm and rest during the treatment.
If we are doing local trigger point needling, also known as dry needling, then our goal is to adjust the needle so that the muscle twitches and releases. This sensation can be surprising and intense. Although this style of treatment is not usually our first line of action and not for everyone, many really appreciate the benefits.
If you have any other questions regarding acupuncture needles, or really anything acupuncture related, we’d love to chat.