Acupuncture is one of the safest treatment methods you can use to help manage pain, stress, and mobility issues. It will help with any physical injury, or sore, strained muscles. It is also helps balance the body systems. It helps with digestive issues, hormone balancing, headaches, vertigo, tinnitus, allergies, insomnia, anxiety and depression etc. and it is virtually side-effect free.
I say virtually, because there are some risks of side-effects with acupuncture. These risks are minimal when working with a well-trained acupuncturist because they will be working within strict standards. We keep our workspaces and materials clean and sterile and take several precautions to safe-guard your health. Some of these precautions include the use of only sterile, single-use needles that are never re-used. We sterilize our hands, the needle sites on your skin and all of our equipment with alcohol. Our equipment must be stored and set-up with certain protocols including a “clean field” and a “dirty field” so there is no chance of anything contaminating one of your sterilized needles before we use it.
A well trained acupuncturist will know how to safely insert needles so that they do not injure you, and they will inform you ahead of time of any possible risks.
Below is an excerpt from my intake form, which spells out the possible risks of acupuncture treatment:
“I have completed this form to the best of my ability or memory. I understand and am informed that in the practice of Acupuncture there are risks to treatment. These are rare but may include and are not limited to minor bleeding or bruising, minor pain or soreness, nausea, fainting, infection, possible perforation of organs and stuck or bent needles. I have been advised that only pre-sterilized single-use needles will be used. I give my consent for Bonnie Adam to perform acupuncture and related protocols on me.”
Sounds a bit scary doesn’t it?
When I started writing this blog, it was not intended to focus so much on the possible negative side-effects of acupuncture. It was actually going to be a message about the positive side-effects of acupuncture.
Here’s where acupuncture has a really great advantage over many other treatments.
When you take a prescription, the pharmacist pulls you aside and explains all the possible side-effects and what to do if you experience any of them right?
When you have an acupuncture treatment, the practitioner does your treatment and informs you that you might see some tiny little bruises or have a small bump like a mosquito bite at the sites where your needles went in.
Then they also explain that you should feel very relaxed and that you should sleep very well. You may also feel that you are releasing stress and anxiety; that you are not as worried as usual. After your great sleep, you will most likely wake up feeling more energized and awake. You may also feel like you just had a great massage and any muscular pains and tension you have been having should start to ease as well.
I have had clients come in for something like allergy treatment, and find that their neck and shoulder pain has gone away at the same time. I also have clients who come in to work on anxiety and find that their allergies or headaches are decreasing. Others come in to work on their muscular aches and pains and find that their insomnia is gone.
Many people find that when they seek acupuncture treatment, their hormonal issues are being addressed at the same time. Women’s cycles become more regular and less painful and menopausal symptoms decrease, and men often find they have increased energy and more passion and stamina in the bedroom!
I think we would be very challenged to find many other treatment methods that can claim so many positive side-effects!
