This is by far the most common question people ask me when I tell them what I do. I understand… because, like most people, I cringe when I think of a needle – injecting fluids or drawing blood. Ouch! Hypodermic needles are fairly thick and hollow this causes a painful sensation when they pierce the skin.
Acupuncture needles are flexible, solid and approximately the size of a cat’s whisker. The needles used for acupuncture are ten times smaller in size then an average hypodermic needle. When the needles are inserted you may feel a slight sensation like a dull throb. The needles stay in about 15 to 50 minutes, depending upon the type of treatment you are receiving. After the treatment many people tend to feel extremely relaxed and calm.
For those who are needle-phobic, there are non-insertive forms of acupuncture that can replace the needles including: Magnets, Microcurrent electrical stimulation, Acupressure, Tui Na, Cupping, Gua Sha and Moxibustion.
Remember Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around for thousands of years and many people have tried it with great success. As Franklin D. Roosevelt once said “There is nothing to fear but fear itself?”
