On the topic of “Does it Hurt?”
You know when you were little and played with a safety pin or sewing needle for that thrill of danger? Sliding it just barely under the skin to see what would happen, it doesn’t hurt, but still has that sense of potential pain. I’ve been thinking of scenarios to compare acupuncture needles with. It certainly doesn’t feel like getting a shot, but at the same time, yes, you do feel it. If you are dealing with needle fears or just feel uncomfortable at the thought of getting a bunch of needles stuck into your body, I have good news for you.
Acupuncture is meant to be relaxing
The stereotypical image of getting acupuncture is of a patient lying on a table, needles poking out everywhere, including their face, while they hold very still. First of all, you don’t need to lie perfectly still while getting acupuncture, it is meant to be a gentle, relaxing process. Your therapist will help get you in a position that feels comfortable, you will not be trapped in any sense of the word. You will be able to move if needed to scratch your face or sneeze, but mostly you can just lie back and relax.
If you are at all nervous, there are many ways your therapist can help you over this hump, it should be a stress-free process. They are happy to go at whatever pace you are comfortable with, explain where and why each needle is being applied, and will certainly avoid certain areas you might be more sensitive to. If needles really are a no-go, they can use alternative methods to access the acupuncture points such as press balls, press tacks (not wall tacks!) or heat.
Needle design
It may help to consider the design of an acupuncture needle, which is much more like a pin or a kitten’s whisker. Since a treatment does not involve an injection of any kind, the needles are very different than a medical needle used to give shots or draw blood, which are much thicker and hollow. Acupuncture pins are literally whisker thin, like a hair, and solid. They are pain-free when inserted, but like anything that touches your skin, there is a sensation involved. Unlike the distinct pressing and pinching feeling experienced when getting an injection, an acupuncture insertion is like a hard tap to the area that is over almost as soon as it starts. There is virtually no sensation when they are removed, and none at all once they are in.
But, why?
Now that we’ve established that getting a treatment is nothing like getting a bunch of shots, the question remains, why the needles? The purpose of acupuncture is to tap into your body’s own resources for self regulation. There are hundreds of points each with a specific action/effect on the body, inserting needles into them activates that point. This stimulates the specific action and effect that each point has to offer. It helps to think of a treatment as a gentle way of soothing what ails you, no suffering required.
