Acupuncture can damage nerves although it's rare that any nerve damage will happen during acupuncture.
If a needle hits a small nerve, muscle, or blood vessel, you may feel some pain or a more intense sensation.
A single sensation is OK as long as it's brief.
Points on the extremities are more likely to produce stronger reactions in the form of dull aches or tingling sensations.
The risks of acupuncture include.
Bleeding, bruising, and soreness may occur at the insertion sites.
Unsterilized needles may lead to infection.
In rare cases, a needle may break and damage an internal organ.
The risks of acupuncture are low if you have a competent, certified acupuncture practitioner using sterile needles.
Common side effects include soreness and minor bleeding or bruising where the needles were inserted.
Single-use, disposable needles are now the practice standard, so the risk of infection is minimal.
The reason you feel worse after acupuncture is because your body is telling you that it's depleted.
It's normal to sometimes feel worse or tired after acupuncture of a day or so but you should begin feeling better soon after.
Following an acupuncture session, some people find that the symptoms of their condition, or illness, temporarily worsen, or 'flare-up'.
Some people also experience sweating, dizziness, and feel faint.
These effects are usually short-lasting, and pass within a few hours.
Acupuncture needles go in as deep as ¼- to ½-inch deep depending on the location and what is being treated with the acupuncture.
The acupuncturist will tap the needles into points into your skin throughout the body.
The needles used in acupuncture are sterile, disposable and as thin as a human hair.
An acupuncturist inserts needles at various depths, from a fraction of an inch to a couple of inches.
The needles stay in for a few minutes or as long as 20 minutes.
After having acupuncture you should avoid anything overly processed, fried, refined sugars, caffeine, and alcohol.
If you've had acupuncture you should stick to eating healthy foods, ideally those rich in antioxidants, after a session in order to promote the elimination of toxins from the body.
Don't take coffee and alcohol.
Avoid ice and cold.
This isn't the period for junk food.
Don't engage in stressful activities.
The effects of acupuncture lasts from a few days to a few weeks depending on the persons age, conditions that are being treated and the treatments the person is receiving.
Acupuncture relieves pain in the body by releasing endorphins, the body's natural pain-killing chemicals, and by affecting the part of the brain that governs serotonin, a brain chemical involved with mood.
Your acupuncture treatment is working when you feel a deep heaviness or numbness.
Other signs that your acupuncture treatment is working include.
Your pain will change. The key word here is change: change in location, severity, or intensity.
Your sleep could improve (or change).
Your mood will improve.
You are more aware of your body.
You have more energy.
Acupuncture once a month is enough for most people.
Although some people may need acupuncture treatment every few weeks or once or twice per week depending on the persons condition.
A common treatment plan for a single complaint would typically involve one or two treatments a week.
The number of treatments will depend on the condition being treated and its severity.
In general, it's common to receive 6 to 8 treatments.
Acupuncture can sometimes work immediately or near immediately for some conditions although other conditions can take awhile before acupuncture to work.
It may take a few acupuncture sessions to see results sometimes for some conditions.
The 3 benefits of acupuncture are.
Reduced Back Pain, Neck Tension and Relieve Joint Pain in the Hands and Arms.
Relief from Headaches.
Reduced Eye Strain.
Other benefits of acupuncture include.
Improved Immune System and Reduced Sick Days.
Enhanced Mental Clarity and Increased Energy.
Relief from Digestive Conditions.
Allergy Relief.
Back Pain Relief.
Conditions that can be treated with acupuncture and conditions that acupuncture can help with include.
Cancer and cancer treatment side effects.
Face pain and other nerve discomfort.
Immune system problems.
Infertility.
Irritable bowel syndrome.
Menopause and hot flashes.
Pregnancy discomforts.
Repetitive strain disorders and overuse syndrome.
Chemotherapy-induced and postoperative nausea and vomiting.
Dental pain.
Fibromyalgia.
Headaches, including tension headaches and migraines.
Labor pain.
Lower back pain.
Neck pain.
Osteoarthritis.
Acupuncture is covered by most health insurance plans including private health insurance plans.
It is part of the state's implementation of regulations required by Obamacare, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
In fact, both California and Maryland are extending acupuncture health insurance coverage to all of its citizens with small group and individual health insurance plans.
Most private health insurance plans have covered acupuncture for years now.
And in 2020, government-run insurance programs like Medicare and Medicaid followed suit, adding acupuncture coverage to their list of benefits.
Acupuncture costs between $112.00 for the first visit and first acupuncture procedure and then it may only cost $80.00 for follow up acupuncture procedures.
Although in some locations acupuncture can cost as much as $200.00 to $400.00
An acupuncture session may take up to 60 minutes, although some appointments may be much shorter.
A common treatment plan for a single complaint would typically involve one or two treatments a week.
The number of treatments will depend on the condition being treated and its severity.
The acupuncture stimulates the central nervous system which in turn releases the chemicals into the brain, spinal cord and muscles causing stimulation of the body's natural healing abilities which promote your physical as well as emotional well being.
Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body.
Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientific knowledge, and it has been characterized as quackery.
Traditional Chinese acupuncture involves the insertion of extremely fine needles into the skin at specific "acupoints."
This may relieve pain by releasing endorphins, the body's natural pain-killing chemicals, and by affecting the part of the brain that governs serotonin, a brain chemical involved with mood.
There is no universal response to acupuncture.
Some people feel relaxed and may be a little tired, others feel energized and ready for anything.
Some people experience an improvement right away and for others it can take several treatments before noticing a positive change.
Hundreds of clinical studies on the benefits of acupuncture show that it successfully treats conditions ranging from musculoskeletal problems (back pain, neck pain, and others) to nausea, migraine headache, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and infertility.
During acupuncture if a needle hits a small nerve, muscle, or blood vessel, you may feel some pain or a more intense sensation.
A single sensation is OK as long as it's brief.
Points on the extremities are more likely to produce stronger reactions in the form of dull aches or tingling sensations.