Does acupuncture hurt?

Many people are curious to try acupuncture but are worried that it will hurt. Occasionally, certain points can feel uncomfortable, but, generally speaking, people find the treatment very relaxing. it’s not unusual for people to fall asleep or go into a state similar to meditation.

I use acupuncture needles that are very fine, because I want to access the point, but do so in a way that is comfortable. For nervous acupuncture patients, I ask them to breathe in and then on the out-breath, I insert the needle. This gives them a sense of control and afterwards, they usually say, ‘Oh, was that it?’.

Some people are highly sensitised to pain, often because they have been in pain for a long time due to chronic conditions. I use ear acupuncture to support reducing their overall sensitisation to pain, this likely works to reduce their overall sensation of pain due to the release of endorphins.

See PubMed - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30984277/

As a woman, I have noticed that I am more sensitive to needles the few days prior to my period and this is true for some of my patients, possibly due to increased water retention prior to the period starting. If you want to try acupuncture but think that you are very sensitive, come and see me towards the end of your period or when it has finished.