Christie Luu

Yes.

The most common side effects of acupuncture are things everyone wants: better sleep, more energy, mental clarity, better digestion and less stress. One or several of these side effects occur routinely for many, many acupuncture goers. And indeed, there are other, less pleasant side effects of acupuncture. These additional side effects are much rarer than the most common side effects of acupuncture, but they can and do occasionally happen. None are life-threatening and all typically are fleeting. Still, they are good to be aware of so that if you do experience them, you know they are normal and nothing to be too concerned about. In frequent but possible seven side effects of acupuncture: Feel worse before they start feeling better, Fatigue, Soreness, Bruising, Muscle twitching, Lightheadedness, and Emotional release.

While most people notice a marked improvement in their symptoms following acupuncture, some feel worse before they start feeling better. In natural medicine circles, this is sometimes referred to as a healing crisis. The idea is that as your body starts undergoing the changes involved in moving toward health, things get stirred up. This can cause not only an exacerbation of current symptoms, but also the recurrence your self-healing ailment that had been dormant. Acupuncture awakens your self-healing capabilities. With that can come an onslaught of bodily awareness. This usually is a positive experience, but it also can mean heightened sensitivity or intolerance for things that previously felt normal. An example of this is someone who unconsciously adapts to stress by tightening and hunching up his shoulders. After an acupuncture treatment, once this person's bodily felt sense has been woken up, his milk upper back and neck tension might start screaming. The good news about this side effect is that it's a sign that things are moving. In the case of acupuncture, this means the primary objective is being met. That is, you are starting to transition on multiple levels from stuck to unstuck.

The effects of acupuncture for anxiety are sometimes felt immediately, sometimes they take weeks to fully kick in. Acupuncture eases anxiety by regulating the nervous systems back into balance.

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The World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture's effectiveness for over 40 disorders, such as: Respiratory disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, circulatory disorders, urogenital disorders, gynecological disorders, muscoskeletal disorders, and psychoemotional disorders. In addition, acupuncture has been used for centuries throughout Asia to treat hundreds of other problems.

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Each session may last 30 minutes to an hour with the needles being retained for 15 minutes or so. Depending on the condition being treated, duration of sessions may be from two to six sessions. Some may actually experience benefit after the first treatment.

According to Chinese Medicine, the technique uses thin needles that are inserted into the body at specific spots called acupoints. It is based on the belief that obstruct blood flow, causes pain and that stimulating to the affect a specific body part and relieve pain.

In Oriental Medicine, there is a saying "If there is pain, there is no free flow. If there is free flow, there is no pain." Acupuncture promotes and reestablishes the free flow of blood.

Obstructions in circulation prevent the body's naturally produced hormones and nutrients from reaching critical sites for healing. These obstructions are caused by inflammation, scar tissue, environmental toxins, life's stressors, chronic anxiety, etc... Acupuncture allows for the reintroduction of blood to areas of the body where there is a lack of circulation and removes blockages that obstruct its flow.

According to Oriental Medicine all disease is based on blood flow. What happened if the blood flow is inadequate? A kink in a hose will prevent it from giving water to a plant. Acupuncture allows for the reintroduction of blood to areas of the body where there is a lack of circulation and removes blockages that obstruct its flow.

The negative side effects of acupuncture are: fatigue, which is a warning sign that you need to rest; soreness, which typically dissipates within 24 hours; bruises, which usually last longer than soreness; muscle twitching; lightheadedness, which can come from acupuncture on an empty stomach; or crying, especially for people who tend to be more emotionally stoic.

Yes. Zhang, Zeng, Sun, and Golianu (2016), Acupuncture for Chronic neck pain.

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