Does Acupuncture Hurt, and what is the point anyway?

Fear of acupuncture and the unknown of someone sticking needles in you can raise alarm and discomfort in most people. Our main experience with needles is injections, vaccines, or blood draws, and let’s face it, none of those things are relished as delightful activities!

But acupuncture is nothing like those needles of terror; they are thin and solid (injection needles are hollow), like a wire the thickness of a human hair, and are placed very superficially in acupuncture points, which I describe as a “chimney,” where the energy is located. Sometimes these points are trigger points that can release muscle tension. A Doctor of Acupuncture calls trigger points “Ah-shi” which loosely translated means “ah, that’s the spot!” If you have heard of “dry needling,” THIS IS ACUPUNCTURE at the Ah-Shi points. Other acupuncture points lie on the channels of energy in the body that are located on the skin surface. Some people have freckles or moles that trace exactly a line that we call the meridian or channel. Check out your arm, and see if you notice this on yourself.

And what is the point of getting acupuncture? Sometimes you need immediate relief from pain, injury or illness, like after a weekend of pickle ball (you know who you are!), or ears are blocked and painful after a long flight, or you have a migraine that you just can’t shake. Acupuncture really does work, my friends. It has been used for at least 2000 years that we know about, maybe longer. Why would it continue as a modality of healing if it didn’t work! Just try it. Most people have a wonderfully relaxed experience, feel energized, calm, and an overwhelming sense of wellbeing that can last for days after a treatment. If reducing stress sounds like what you need, then get yourself a treatment soon.