Acupuncture does not hurt.
If you've never had acupuncture before, then the top barrier to getting treatment is probably concern about or fear of needles. Unlike your experiences at the doctor's office getting shots or having blood drawn, acupuncture is not painful and is actually very relaxing. One reason for this is that acupuncture needles are extremely thin, approximately the size of a few human hairs, and are solid. In fact, about 26 acupuncture needles can fit in the hole in one hypodermic needle. When the needle is inserted, you may feel a sense of pressure or a gentle sensation of 'movement' in different areas of the body, but this is most often not unpleasant or painful. Japanese Style Acupuncture. At Wisdom Traditions Acupuncture, our resident acupuncturist Marni Adhikari uses a Japanese needling style in which needles are inserted very shallowly and gently. This is different from most people's experience of needles, whether getting a shot at the doctor's office or going for acupuncture with a different type of acupuncture practitioner. If you've had acupuncture in the past and are curious how Japanese acupuncture is different from what you may have experienced with other forms of acupuncture, there is a wonderful article here: The 7 Key Differences Between Chinese and Japanese Acupuncture. Ensuring a comfortable experience. Marni is very conscious of her patients' apprehension or fear of needles. She always walks her patients through the process meditatively, especially for the first treatment. This includes guided breathing, and verbally explaining what she is doing every step of the way. Marni's top priority is to ensure that her patients are as comfortable as possible. |