Things to Know Before Acupuncture

Acupuncture, the practice of inserting needles into the body for therapeutic purposes, has a long history that dates back over 4,000 years. This science of healing originated from ancient Chinese medicine and has been developed and passed down to this day.

Currently, acupuncture has been widely accepted in the medical community across more than 140 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the efficacy of acupuncture since 1979.

In November 1996, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States acknowledged that acupuncture is a "reasonable option" for treating various diseases.

Generally, doctors will insert the needles for about 20-30 minutes before removing them. Treatment is usually done once a day, every day or every other day, for about 7-10 sessions, depending on the type and severity of the disease.

In addition, there are other forms of acupuncture treatment, such as ear acupuncture, tapping the skin with needles, moxibustion, and cupping therapy.

Treatment Preparations

Before receiving acupuncture treatment, patients should prepare themselves by:

1. Being mentally prepared for the treatment

Acupuncture is a "surgical" type of treatment that requires cooperation from the patient. If the patient is anxious or moves around too much, especially children, the acupuncturist may not be able to perform the procedure properly and the treatment outcome may not be as effective or even dangerous.

Patients should come to the treatment with confidence and not with fear or anxiety.

2. Wearing appropriate clothing

In acupuncture, the needle insertion points may sometimes be located under the patient's clothing, such as under a shirt. Therefore, patients should wear clothing that is separated into parts, such as a separate top and bottom. The clothing should not be too tight, so that the patient can easily fold up their sleeves or pant legs. The clothing should be loose or wide enough to be folded up above the elbows or knees if needed. In cases where the needles need to be inserted in the shoulder or neck area, a shirt with a wide collar should be chosen.

3. Eat moderately

Generally, patients who receive acupuncture should eat about 1-2 hours before and should not eat too much. If they have just eaten a lot or eaten too much, food will remain in the stomach for a long time. When they receive acupuncture, which requires lying down for a long time, up to 20 minutes, it may cause discomfort, especially when lying face down, and patients may not tolerate it. If the needle needs to be inserted in the abdominal area, if the stomach is filled with a lot of gas, it may be dangerous to insert the needle into the abdominal cavity or stomach easily.

On the other hand, patients should not receive treatment when they are extremely hungry, as they may easily experience "fainting" when the needle is stimulated. This is because the body may lack energy to use for metabolism while the nervous system and hormones are being stimulated by acupuncture.

4. Clean your body thoroughly

Acupuncture is a procedure that involves using a sharp object to puncture through the skin into the body. Therefore, patients should have a clean body to reduce the risk of infection as much as possible before receiving acupuncture. If possible, patients should take a bath or shower before receiving acupuncture, especially if they need to receive treatment on the head. At the very least, they should not let the part of the body where the needle needs to be inserted be too dirty. Patients who need to receive acupuncture on the head should have their hair cut as short as possible. In addition, they should not use hair gel or cream that is sticky or oily. If they don't use it, it's best for the convenience of the acupuncturist.

Female patients who are menstruating can receive acupuncture treatment without any danger. Not getting acupuncture during this time is probably more of a matter of discomfort or embarrassment than anything else.

5. Calm body and mind during treatment

When the doctor inserts the needle into the skin, the patient may feel a slight pain similar to an ant bite. When the doctor reaches the acupuncture point, the patient may feel numbness, heaviness, or slight tingling. As the doctor begins to stimulate the needle by gently twisting or moving it up and down, the patient may feel a stronger numbness, heaviness, or tingling. Sometimes, these sensations may spread along the meridian lines. If these sensations occur, the treatment usually has a good effect.

In the case of electroacupuncture, the patient will feel a mild muscular twitching in the area where the needle is inserted, following the rhythm of the electrical current.

Generally, during acupuncture treatment, the patient should not feel excessive pain or numbness. If the patient feels severe pain, excessive numbness, or a feeling like an electric shock, they should immediately inform the doctor because the needle may have pierced a blood vessel or nerve, or the needle may be in the wrong position, or the electrical current may not be appropriate.

During treatment, if any abnormal symptoms or discomfort occur, such as chest tightness, difficulty breathing, numbness in the hands, or dizziness, the patient should immediately inform the treating doctor or assistant.

While having acupuncture needles in the body, one should sit or lie still and avoid moving too much, as the parts of the body with needles may dislodge or break the needles. However, small movements are still permissible. Other parts of the body without needles can move freely as desired.

During the acupuncture treatment, patients should remain calm and relaxed, perhaps closing their eyes and breathing slowly and steadily to help maintain a consistent rhythm, which can help calm the mind.

While being stimulated by acupuncture, some patients may feel drowsy because the insertion of the needles can trigger the release of endorphins. These substances are similar in effect to morphine, helping to alleviate pain and soothe the nerves, and over time, some patients may find that they can fall asleep more easily or more deeply, and their mood may become brighter and more cheerful than before.

6. Post-treatment Practices

After the acupuncture needles have been stimulated for the specified duration of about 20-30 minutes, the physician will remove the needles. Sometimes, a small amount of blood may come out from the point where the needle was inserted, similar to when receiving an injection. This is because the needle may have pricked a small capillary blood vessel. By using a cotton swab to apply pressure for a moment, the bleeding will stop on its own.

After the completion of the treatment, there are generally no specific restrictions imposed. Patients can eat, bathe, and carry out their daily activities as usual, except for cases where the needle is placed on the earlobe and extra caution is needed when bathing to prevent the earlobe from getting wet.

In general, after being treated with acupuncture needles, patients do not need to go back and rest at home, but can drive or return to work as usual. However, some individuals may experience slight fatigue or weakness after the needle insertion. But after taking some rest, these symptoms will disappear.

7. Other Treatments Combined with Acupuncture

Patients who receive acupuncture treatment may already have existing conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, or emphysema, which usually require them to take medications or undergo other treatments such as physical therapy.

In general, acupuncture treatment can be combined with medication or other therapies without any specific restrictions.

8. Prohibitions for acupuncture

8.1 Patients who are excessively anxious and fearful of treatment, even though they have tried their best, may not be able to control their emotions.

8.2 Patients who are exhausted after heavy exercise.

8.3 Pregnant women, especially those in the later stages of pregnancy, as these patients often cannot lie down or sit for long periods of time. Sleeping on their back may compress the uterus and the fetus, which could cause compression of the large veins in the abdominal cavity and result in hypotension. The prone position is also not suitable for pregnant women, as it may compress the fetus and cause discomfort for the mother.

Furthermore, severe needle insertion can stimulate the fetus to contract excessively, leading to a risk of miscarriage.

8.4 Patients with abnormalities related to blood clotting, such as hemophilia, may experience difficulty stopping bleeding once it starts. If treatment is necessary, extra caution must be taken. Needle insertion or acupuncture must be done gently to avoid piercing large blood vessels. After the needle is removed, pressure must be applied to prevent bleeding for a longer period than usual for the average patient.

8.5 Infants or young children, as well as patients with mental illness or dementia who cannot cooperate with treatment, require special consideration.

8.6 Patients with pacemakers installed in their bodies due to heart disease should not receive electric needle stimulation because it may interfere with the pacemaker's function and cause dangerous irregular heartbeats. However, in this case, needle stimulation can still be performed using a manual rotation method.

The aforementioned "prohibitions" are not absolute prohibitions. For example, needle insertion may be possible in patients with mental illness if the reasons why it may be dangerous are understood and caution is taken. Therefore, it is possible to perform acupuncture on these patients with caution.