Is it true that there are no side effects to acupuncture?
Basically acupuncture as a method of treatment has few side effects. Common side effects can be headaches, increase in existing pain (as an initial reaction to the treatment), fatigue and weakness. Usually the side effects will appear after the first treatment (but not necessarily) and pass within a few days and do not require further treatment.
Is acupuncture painful?
In Chinese medicine in general and also in acupuncture specifically there are many approaches and different working methods. Each method has its own working principles. There are methods that advocate acupuncture without pain or tenderness which uses ultra thin needles which are inserted without the patient noticing it. In contrast, there are other methods that deliberately make use of thicker needles. Part of these techniques are based on stimulating the body so that the patient will feel the needles (this is very common method in China).
More often then not the patient will not feel any pain, but some neural sensitivity, which may last a few seconds and not more than a minute.
Does each therapist who uses needles for treatment is necessarily performing Chinese acupuncture?
No. There are many disciplines in the world of alternative medicine which are using needles which are not Chinese medicine. In Korean medicine for example there is an acupuncture method at the edges of the hands, there is Japanese acupuncture and more.
Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Chinese acupuncture is performed only by a qualified therapist who has completed a four-year course in a well recognized college (this is the bare minimum requirement).
Is one acupuncture treatment enough?
Usually not. This is a process of healing with acupuncture takes time since the healing of the body is done by bringing the healing mechanism of the body back into balance.
In some cases where the illness / pain is acute (current), there is a possibility that a few treatments may be enough, but most often this is not the case. Recommended length of treatment is about 12 acupuncture treatments as a first series, during which one can expect to see improvement.
Can acupuncture help with any problems?
Chinese medicine sees the human body as a whole where all body systems are interrelated, therefore acupuncture is a great healing tool in Chinese medicine. Acupuncture addresses the problems and illnesses of the human body in a deep and comprehensive way, but not always and not in all cases will acupuncture solve all health problems. This is why in China they combine additional techniques as a means of healing (see treatments methods) and today they also combine western medicine with Chinese medicine as part of hospital treatments.
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