Acupuncture: Doesn’t That hurt?

I am of the opinion that the word “needle” creates negative attitudes towards acupuncture. Yes, I am aware we do use needles, and there is no escaping that fact. Those who have not received acupuncture however have a tendency to presume some things which are not quite right.

The most basic assumption is made in regards to the size of an acupuncture needle. They are far finer than the hypodermic needles we receive at the doctor or the dentist. A size 21 hypodermic needle is what is most frequently used to extract blood.  This has a gauge of 0.8192mm. In contrast, the most common acupuncture needles used in clinical practice have a gauge of 0.25mm. The average acupuncture needles are therefore just under 70% finer than the average hypodermal needle. Conversely, the hypodermal needle is more than 3 times thicker than the acupuncture needle.

So, do the acupuncture needles hurt? The quick answer for this is, not as much as first thought. I can insert a needle into patient without them knowing. This is more easily done on the torso of the body. The sensitivity increases when the limbs are needled. This becomes more evident distal to the elbows and knees and the hands are feet are the most sensitive. Often the expectation and fear of the pain is worse than the pain itself.