Does Acupuncture Hurt? A patient testimonial guide to helping you overcome the fear of needles.
So, does acupuncture hurt? Yes, sometimes it does, and sometimes you don’t feel anything. The range of sensation when the acupuncture needles are inserted are from 1-no feeling to 3-a slight tingle, pinch or electrical flow unblocking the pain response pathways naturally in our body. (But feeling physical jolts or a small pinch can be good though!).
If you pinched me, I’d most likely say, “OW! Stop it”. Soon after, I will be fine. When you get acupuncture, you will encounter something – a sting, a tiny pinch, a prick that lasts a couple of seconds at most. I would rank this no greater than 3 out of 10 on a pain scale. There can be pain, but the sensations from acupuncture will alter after the preliminary prick and, at times, throughout the treatment. Some of the typical feelings are heat, itchiness or warmth, tightening, a dull ache, a muscle jerk, electrical sensation down a body part, or a static sensation. It is normal to feel these things. I constantly attempt to stress with my patient base that feeling is quite crucial. We reside in a world where we tend to numb our emotions, and we only focus on what we feel in order to be more efficient. However, we get used to this and eventually forget how to read our own internal experiences. This is where we encounter trouble due to the fact that we end up being less in touch with our bodies. Sometimes pain is a good thing and triggers endorphins that heal our body.
I have found that brand-new patients tend to feel concerned that acupuncture will harm the body or they have some fear of laying still with needles in them. Both are valid issues to someone new to this. To provide additional context and relational experience, I asked a couple of people to explain their personal acupuncture treatments they had at Vitality Wellness Clinic. There is nothing more powerful than patient testimonial, customer reviews, and people to explain first hand experiences.
Acupuncture feels like a warm invisible hand throughout the treatment
Doctor Mike explained his acupuncture treatments this way: “The needles going in are like truly small pricks that lasts perhaps a millisecond. The majority of the time, I do not even feel it. To me, it includes heat to the location specifically when far infrared is combined with acupuncture treatment. Sometimes it seems like a heavy, warm hand working across a targeted area throughout the treatment. I operate in a high intensity training environment in my personal life and can’t afford downtime or pills to slow me down mentally and physically. I typically receive acupuncture when I have substantial tightness in my back and neck muscles and tissues. Acupuncture has been a fantastic relief, and I rebound faster than I ever have even in my 50’s. I always feel a lot more relaxed after a session and sometimes a little exhausted for the rest of the day. This is our body telling us to heal and slow down after difficult training sessions with varying intensity. My session is focused on my overall needs both physically and psychologically. I often feel more focused and a sense of mental acuity in addition to pain relief after each session as well.”
Acupuncture is a quick poke and is like a relaxation massage
“The moment the needle reaches my back, I feel an immediate sense of peace”, stated Phillys, stay at home mom in Justin, TX. “It’s a quick poke, and to me, it relaxes the muscles and tissues like a massage. I’ve done acupuncture many times, and I look forward to every session. I anticipate the healing power and don’t even realize when the needles are placed anymore.”
Linda, who is a landscape specialist in Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, said, “My shoulders are typically in so much pain I was willing to try anything, and I have tried just about everything. During my treatments, I barely even feel the needles go in. It’s simply the tiniest little pinch when I do. As far as how it feels, when the needles are inserted, I do not typically feel them. It can feel little tight in the targeted pain areas around my shoulders, but the immediate sensation of relief both short-term and long-term are worth a split second of an acupuncture needle insertion. However, in most cases the acupuncture doctor is so great I don’t even feel the needle placement. Once or twice, I’ve felt a little muscle twitch or spasm, but once the needles are placed correctly, it feels almost unnoticeable. Never have I felt any overwhelming discomfort during or after my treatments. I wouldn’t trade acupuncture for pills or surgery ever.”
Acupuncture seems like a stream of energy is flowing from one point of my body to the next
I love this description that Keisha, who was receiving acupuncture at Vitality Wellness clinic gave: “Acupuncture has different sensations, depending on what part of my body needs to be worked on that day what targeted area I need to heal. If the needle is put in a pain or sore spot, it feels sharp and prominent. I feel a light pinch and no pain if it’s inserted in a location linked to another spot that requires work. I’ve had feelings that seem like a stream of energy is streaming from one point of my body to the next. It feels like where the needle is inserted awakens that area. It’s an innate sense that the body is becoming aware of the healing that requires to be done, and our immune system response triggers the endorphin release. After all the needles are inserted in their rightful places, I’m left to heal and rest. I get in a meditative, dream-like area where my mind can openly think while my body and spirit interact to recover.”
The more frequent you receive acupuncture, the less scary or uncertain you will become. I, personally, feel comforted by what I feel as I’ve discovered to understand that the sensations of recovery and blood circulation will make me feel better both short-term and long-term. Most patients see a 60% improvement in their pain relief effort after the first treatment. The advantages of acupuncture surpass the brief discomfort you may initially feel. Acupuncture can be used to deal with chronic migraines, weight loss, back and neck pain before or after surgery, discomfort and shoulder pain, knee injuries, ankle sprains, unpleasant periods, digestion issues, sleep problems, anxiety, weight loss, smoking cessation and fertility. A lot of our patients inform me that they find the process of getting acupuncture rather pleasurable, and they look forward to their visits.
For individuals who feel worried about laying through Acupuncture for a prolonged period, I have discovered that those initially fretted about this tend to feel comfy after the very first time.
Why Vitality Wellness Clinic Acupuncture?
Our mission is simple. We are committed to bring you an affordable, low risk, long term solution to health challenges that conventional medicine has failed while improving your natural immune response preventing further illness and injury. We utilize Oriental medicine techniques and feature the only doctor in Texas trained by the Godfather of acupuncture- Dr. Wu Wei Ping. His treatments are proven to be some of the most effective techniques used worldwide. Dr. Tsing was hand picked by Dr. Wu Wei ping and received direct training for 7 years under his supervision.
At VWC we take a different approach to treating health conditions. We specialize in acupuncture, cupping, infrared sauna and traditional Chinese medicine here in the Grapevine, Southlake, Colleyville, and Coppell Texas areas. Today acupuncture is practiced widely and adoption among insurance and Medicare companies is higher than ever. You will be treated with decency, respect and feel as though you are a family member at Vitality Wellness Clinic. Treating you with compassion, respect and professionalism are three of our keys to curing your body from the inside out. We treat problems their source not the symptoms they surface.
Please visit our home page for additional information about our services and to book your appointment today.
What Makes Us Different?
With over 30 years of experience in the field of oriental medicine, Dr. Tsing not only combine five elements acuppoints when prescribing acupuncture treatments but he also specializes in one needle treatment. He will only use one needle in treatments of relieving and alleviating pain in the human body. Give us a call today at 817-527-6077!
