Acupuncture Needles

Acupuncture is a technique that involves inserting hair-thin acupuncture needles up to various depths in the skin in order to relieve pain. This technique originated in China thousand of years ago, but has become quite popular in last two decades.

How and why of acupuncture has not been fully understood by modern medicine practitioners, yet, but studies have shown that it offers innumerable health benefits

Acupuncture is used for weight loss, to cure sinus headaches, asthma and eczema, and to help people who want to quit smoking.

Using Acupuncture Needles For Treatment

The therapy involves series of weekly treatments, and each visit includes an exam and assessment of patient’s current condition, followed by insertion of acupuncture needles, with each session lasting almost 30 minutes.

Before acupuncture needles are placed, person needs to lie down faceup, facedown or sideways. It is important to ensure that acupuncturist uses single-use sterile packaged acupuncture needles. The procedure is not painful, but patient might feel a sharp but mild pain when needles are inserted giving a deep aching sensation when needle reached the correct depth.

Types Of Acupuncture Needles

There is extensive range of acupuncture needles available that includes tube copper needle, without tube copper needle, with tube extra long copper needle, golden coated needle, spiral handle needle, right hand needle, Nickel-coated needle, steel handle needle, flat handle needle and aluminium handle needle.

Most of the practitioners prefer to use stainless steel needles, as they are very thin and quite flexible. These single use disposable needles are just inserted a tiny bit. Some practitioners use Japanese styles ultra fine, soft, solid silver needles.

These needles are just touched to points and do not actually penetrate the skin. For the patients who are extremely sensitive or are scared of needles, another type of Japanese needles are used that have a little ball at the end.

This needle is just touched and held at a point and the treatment offered is quite effective for little children or weak people.

Acupuncture Without Needles

Acupuncture works by stimulating certain interconnected points throughout the body. These points are called meridians. The limbs and organs along these meridians positively respond to stimulation resulting is relief of pain and overall sense of well-being.

There are however some devices available for those who have aversion to the insertion of needles into their body. These devices use controlled power from an ordinary battery.

They locate the points that need stimulation and audiovisual signal informs the user to press the treatment button located on hand held unit, sending a very small amount of current through the body bringing relief.