“Can acupuncture needles be left in too long?”
I am a 45 year old female. I wonder if acupuncture needles can be left in too long?
28 Answers
The length of time acupuncture. needles should be left in varies according to the case. An average length of time is usually from 15 to 30 minutes. Treatments for extreme pain can take longer (e.g. appendicitis). An experience provider knows how long to leave the needles in depending on what is being treated and the patient.
It can
Yes. usually you will just be very tired if the needles have been left in for too long. The normal Qi cycle is 28 minutes and that is the suggested time to have needles left in the body.
yes
yes
No
Yes, for sick patients or difficulty coming to the office, we trust the patient, we put small and thin needles in specific areas up to 72 hours safely.
Yali Li
Yali Li
Hi,
Do you mean someone put the needles on you too long, so you don't feel well afterward? If it is the case, I guess you are brought home needles and did not feel well after. Usually it will not cause too much trouble unless the needle was too deep, which might cause the local area muscle cramping and pain. Please let your acupuncturist know. They should be more careful, don't want this to happen in the future.
Jonathan Fang, Lic. Ac.
Do you mean someone put the needles on you too long, so you don't feel well afterward? If it is the case, I guess you are brought home needles and did not feel well after. Usually it will not cause too much trouble unless the needle was too deep, which might cause the local area muscle cramping and pain. Please let your acupuncturist know. They should be more careful, don't want this to happen in the future.
Jonathan Fang, Lic. Ac.
Needles are left from 15mins to 45mins
General time for needles is about 20-30 minutes. Some chronic cases, needles can be left in up to 40 minutes.
Our treatment duration is usually between 25 min and 40 min. There is no risk to keep the needles longer than 40 min, however, we believe that it is not necessary.
Alexandre Hillairet, DAOM.
Alexandre Hillairet, DAOM.
Hi,
No, but there is no more effectiveness after a certain time.
Sincerely,
Scott Sang In Lee
No, but there is no more effectiveness after a certain time.
Sincerely,
Scott Sang In Lee
Needles usually stay 40-45 minutes. But with new tech, they do not need to stay in that long. When the needles are in, if the patient feels a strong sensation from the needles, then can take the needles out right away, the effect is even better.
Some conditions can left long, some conditions can’t left long. By according you conditions acupuncturist shall design suitable time left the needle for you.
Acupuncture needles can be left from a few seconds to days. It all depends on your medical condition and doctor's experience.
Yes. The longer they are in, the stronger the treatment. Sometimes it's just too strong and the patient will feel fatigued afterwards.
Usually, the needles are retained in about 15 min increments. This is how long it takes for the qi (energy-circulation) to complete a full circuit in the body. For optimal treatments we recommend longer treatments to help harmonize the energy. Theoretically there may not be a definite time limit. In my opinion, the only time it’s left in too long is when you get souvenirs: needles left behind.
Hi,
Normally, acupuncture needles can be left 20-60 minutes according to the patient’s need and conditions. However, the time can be different for each practitioner.
Hope it helps your question.
Thank you.
Normally, acupuncture needles can be left 20-60 minutes according to the patient’s need and conditions. However, the time can be different for each practitioner.
Hope it helps your question.
Thank you.
Hello! Acupuncture needles is usually retained for approximately 30 minutes. Longer retention for up to 45 minutes is also safe.
30 mins
Mr. Anthony James Lorenzo
Acupuncturist
Some practitioners use needles in the ears that remain in for days. I do not. I assume that is not specifically what you were asking about though. Usually 45 minutes is the longest needles are retained in the body in my experience, but even I have left a needle in a patient and no one has ever been harmed to my best understanding.
Yes. The rule of thumb for acupuncture needle retaining in the body is: shorter for acute conditions and longer for chronic.
Yes, for certain body types and for certain diagnoses, but a trained and licensed Acupuncturist would be aware of these limitations.
Yes.
Not a good idea to be left in too long, some acupuncturists when doing things, don't have enough sense of responsibility.
They can. When needles are left in the body for longer than 20 minutes, the treatment can actually revert. Leaving them in for too long will also leave the patient feeling extremely fatigued because it taxes the body's qi and blood.
For a typical private appointment session, most folks use something around 30-40 minute retention. In China I've seen retention times closer to 60 minutes for particular patients and particular conditions.
I like to use small dermal tacks on certain patients with certain conditions. These are really tiny needles on an adhesive backing (it looks like a circular bandaid). Most of the time these can be left in place for a few days.
If we're talking regular acupuncture needles, somewhere between 30-60 minutes is probably good enough. You shouldn't be leaving your practitioners' office with any regular sized acupuncture needles still in place. The concern isn't necessarily that the point is overstimulated in some way, it's more about infection risk and tissue damage.
I like to use small dermal tacks on certain patients with certain conditions. These are really tiny needles on an adhesive backing (it looks like a circular bandaid). Most of the time these can be left in place for a few days.
If we're talking regular acupuncture needles, somewhere between 30-60 minutes is probably good enough. You shouldn't be leaving your practitioners' office with any regular sized acupuncture needles still in place. The concern isn't necessarily that the point is overstimulated in some way, it's more about infection risk and tissue damage.
The practitioner will make a diagnosis then decide the length of time they are left in. There are some circumstances where leaving them in longer can cause an adverse reaction.
