How is acupuncture performed?

A session of acupuncture focuses on having very thin, ultra fine metal needles inserted into certain points along the body, the points at which the needles are inserted are chosen very carefully. In the UK there are roughly 3,000 practitioners of acupuncture; these include Doctors, physiotherapists and dentists.

During the first consultation with a therapist you will be given a full medical examination, you will be asked about your lifestyle in general, your diet, sleeping habits and the symptoms that you are experiencing. While all these are pretty standard assessments, the practitioner will then go onto more unusual methods of diagnosis.

One of the methods will be asking to look at the colour and texture of your tongue; they will also take hold of your wrists and begin to feel your pulse in different areas on the wrist. The acupuncturist is able to tell a lot from the feel of the pulse in your wrist, they are able to gain information about the internal organs and the state they are in.

The acupuncturist will have studied for many years on this form of diagnosis alone; along with this the acupuncturist may feel for pulses on different parts of your body in order to make a full diagnosis of your problem.

Following the thorough examination and diagnosis the acupuncturist will then go on to inform you of what to expect from the treatment they will perform. Depending on the area which is to be treated, you could be asked to undress and lie down or sit up on a table; the acupuncturist will then begin to insert the small needles along the points needed.

Needles can vary in length and thickness and they can be of different sizes, while the needles are being inserted you shouldn’t feel any pain although you might feel a little soreness or tingling in the area.

Different types of acupuncture

The majority of acupuncturists use the traditional method of performing the treatment; however some will also use electrical methods to stimulate the needles once in place. Laser acupuncture and acupressure can also be used.

Are there any side effects to acupuncture treatment?

When performed by a qualified acupuncturist, acupuncture is considered to be relatively safe; however there can be a little soreness or drowsiness during the actual treatment although this is often described as a pleasant feeling rather than a painful one.

Very occasionally there might be a little bruising in the area where the needles were inserted; there could also be a very small amount of bleeding where the needles were placed into the skin, especially if they were near small blood vessels.