Does acupuncture hurt?

Are you looking for an alternative to address your health concerns and considering acupuncture? Are you wondering, does acupuncture hurt?  Most people who are considering acupuncture have either found no alternative solution to their health problem, or are looking to improve outcomes of other concurrent therapies. 

Whatever your reason, most people are naturally apprehensive of needles. After all, the vast majority of people have had a shot, and those aren’t pleasant at all!!!

Ranking up there with unpleasant needle experiences are intravenous therapies (IV) as well as nerve conduction studies.  Both of which can be painful and further discourage folks from trying acupuncture, because the assumption is that a needle going into the body will feel the same, regardless if it’s an IV, a shot, or acupuncture. 

This assumption couldn’t be further from the truth! It surprises many first-time patients to acupuncture that they often don’t feel the needle at all. Many patients are able to relax on the table, with needles in the body and actually fall asleep during their treatment.  

Acupuncture can be painless! There are a few factors that can determine whether acupuncture hurts or not.

1. Patient sensitivity is the biggest determinate. Some patients are hypersensitive to sensation. Whether it’s general pain, an acupuncture needle or even a massage, each person has their own sensitivity to physical sensation.  If you know yourself to be hypersensitive, you may feel more than a person who experiences less physical sensation.

2. Pre-existing assumptions. There is a curious phenomenon that I have noticed in a select group of patients; in their mind, a story is created about what they imagine acupuncture will feel like, namely that it will hurt. In spite of their fear, these folks are desperate to feel better so they are willing to give acupuncture a try. When it comes time to put the needles in, I notice these patients say ouch or become very tense in anticipation of pain…BEFORE the needle ever goes in.  The power of the mind over matter is very real; in this case, their mind has told them it hurts before I even put the needle in.  They are experiencing imagined pain, not actual pain.

3. Skill of the practitioner. There are a variety of needling techniques and styles of insertion. Generally speaking, most practitioners who have needled a few dozen patients will demonstrate adequate skill in needle insertion. Some practitioners are especially skilled at tuning into the patient's anxiety around needles and intuiting when those folks need extra gentle needling. There are practitioners that are more heavy-handed and less nuanced from patient to patient, so if you have had acupuncture before and found it painful, it’s worth finding a provider who has a more gentle touch. 

Kristin has been practicing acupuncture for 20 years, and before opening her New Paltz acupuncture clinic, she ran a bustling Manhattan practice where she had thousands of hours of practice in painlessly inserting needles. If you have been curious to try acupuncture but afraid it will hurt, give Kristin a call.  She has the intuition and sensitivity to meet your needs.