“Acupuncture in neck and feeling dizzy after ”
Hello,
I got acupuncture in my neck yesterday only two needles to help with pain in my neck and I have been dealing with dizziness. After the acupuncture I feel very weird. My head is buzzing and I feel so dizzy and it’s making me nervous. Is this normal? Or what can I do? Will it stay like this forever
I got acupuncture in my neck yesterday only two needles to help with pain in my neck and I have been dealing with dizziness. After the acupuncture I feel very weird. My head is buzzing and I feel so dizzy and it’s making me nervous. Is this normal? Or what can I do? Will it stay like this forever
Female | 24 years old
Complaint duration: 1 day
15 Answers
It could be a reaction to needling.
HI, it may have not been the best treatment plan for what you have specifically.
Did you eat before treatment, were you dehydrated. I would try a different practitioner.
Did you eat before treatment, were you dehydrated. I would try a different practitioner.
This was abnormal, you should contact the acupuncture board.
This is not normal. You should have immediately reported this to the acupuncturist so they could fix it for you. Call now and go back. Acupuncture moves the energy in the body. It gets “stuck”, we call it blockages. We clear the block and move the energy. Clearly, you had more than one blockage and that just needs to also be cleared. Only two needles for the treatment indicates to me that you did not go to an actual acupuncturist. Licensed acupuncturists that are fully trained will have L.Ac. after their name. Frequently MDs, DCs, and PTs in some states will also do acupuncture. They have only limited training. If this is the case call a licensed acupuncturist and they can clear the block and help with the dizziness. With acupuncture we treat the symptoms and the underlying cause. This will always take more than 2 needles. Only in rare cases would I only use a couple of needles on a patient, four at a minimum.
I would need more info about your medical
History
History
It is not normal to experience dizziness after acupuncture treatment if done correctly. I suggest you immediately contact your practitioner. Acupuncture can be very effective in relieving and treating dizziness/vertigo.
There are many types of people living in the world.
Always pray to find a good doctor.
It can be brought back to normal with acupuncture.
Always pray to find a good doctor.
It can be brought back to normal with acupuncture.
Hello,
Two neck needles most likely will not cause dizziness since insertion depth
is shallow in that area. However, because I am not your acupuncturist, I
would need to know the point selection and insertion method.
It could be a healing response, which is moving the stagnant Qi out of the
area.
A healing response will not last long and you should find a positive pain
relief thereafter.
Celeste
Two neck needles most likely will not cause dizziness since insertion depth
is shallow in that area. However, because I am not your acupuncturist, I
would need to know the point selection and insertion method.
It could be a healing response, which is moving the stagnant Qi out of the
area.
A healing response will not last long and you should find a positive pain
relief thereafter.
Celeste
Yes, it happens if you were treated by non experienced acupuncturist. There are reinforce or draining needle techniques. You better find someone has more experienced acupuncturist who get trained with Herbal medicine and acupuncture to treat you.
Hu Gi Acuherbs
480-857-1888
Hu Gi Acuherbs
480-857-1888
Usually, this can be related to skipping breakfast/meal before having the acupuncture treatment where the effect of the treatment is draining the body’s energy. But if symptoms worsen definitely go to the ER. It’s best to contact the practitioner and let them know your symptoms
as they can determine if it was an effect of their treatment or otherwise.
as they can determine if it was an effect of their treatment or otherwise.
Talk with your practitioner about your response, but I don't think the symptoms will persist.
Acupuncture can result in any number of responses by the body. If this was your first session of acupuncture, it's entirely valid that you feel weird. As you become more experienced with receiving acupuncture, you will begin to be better able to navigate the sensations you have. You will be able to recognize them as a response that is normal for you and one that means your session was therapeutic.
The sensation you have is not likely to persist. That said, if the sensation starts to feel less "weird" and more "bad" or continues to persist in a way that is very uncomfortable, I encourage you to reach out to your practitioner immediately to discuss the treatment and how you responded. They will best be able to assess what you are experiencing and what sort of follow up care is required.
Kind regards,
Dr Barnes
The sensation you have is not likely to persist. That said, if the sensation starts to feel less "weird" and more "bad" or continues to persist in a way that is very uncomfortable, I encourage you to reach out to your practitioner immediately to discuss the treatment and how you responded. They will best be able to assess what you are experiencing and what sort of follow up care is required.
Kind regards,
Dr Barnes
I am sorry to hear you had a bad experience with acupuncture. First I would suggest that you let the acupuncturist know as soon as possible. Second, find another acupuncturist who practices a style called distal needling, which means they do not place needles into the area of pain. The Balance Method is one type of distal needling. Ask the person before you schedule how they work. Explain what happened to you. An experienced acupuncturist should be able to help you with this.
First, hope you will find relief soon. Acupunture doesn't have side effects. However, some people may feel worse before feeling better. I am not sure if you were laying down face down when you got your acupuncture treatment. If so, some people may feel light headed when getting up. you should talk to your acupuncturist as they know which points were used and they will be able to follow up with you.
Based on what you're describing, I have to ask a question in return: did you get this procedure done by a licensed and board certified acupuncturist or was this done by a chiropractor or physical therapist? I ask because it sounds like you received a trigger point type therapy on the muscles of your neck.
Experiences like this are precisely why, if you're planning to let someone stick needles in your body, you want that someone to be well trained in sticking needles in someone's body - chiropractors and physical therapists largely do not have the necessary level of training required to do this safely. That being said, this outcome is not on you - there isn't any reason the average person should need to be aware of the difference between a DC/PT and an LAc. Those practicing in the medical community should realize when they're outside of their primary training and refer appropriately. Unfortunately, when it comes to acupuncture and Chinese medicine, they often do not.
All that aside - is the dizziness a result of the needling? Probably, and especially so if you had no history of dizziness or vertigo prior to having this procedure done. My best guess is that the provider accidentally placed a needle too close to a nerve or put a different muscle into spasm which is now squeezing on a nerve. The sensation will likely go away in a couple of days - in other words this should not be permanent.
You can look on the internet for some neck stretches which may help to alleviate the issue in the interim. There are some other treatments that could help: massage, cupping or gua sha in the area, and acupuncture.
If you decide to try cupping, gua sha, or acupuncture, please make sure you're seeing an actual L.Ac. who has an NCCAOM national board certification. If you did happen to see an L.Ac. for the initial treatment, I'd do a couple of things:
1. Let them know what happened and what you're experiencing.
2. See what kind of thoughts they have about the issue and how to resolve it for you.
The other thing I'd do is look for an L.Ac. who treats distally/distant. Treating neck issues doesn't always require needles in the neck. Acupuncturists who specialize in treating distally will be able to address your neck problem by putting needles elsewhere on the body. This often reduces tension in the entire area, can make local needling much more effective, and reduces the odds of an adverse event like this occurring in the first place.
Experiences like this are precisely why, if you're planning to let someone stick needles in your body, you want that someone to be well trained in sticking needles in someone's body - chiropractors and physical therapists largely do not have the necessary level of training required to do this safely. That being said, this outcome is not on you - there isn't any reason the average person should need to be aware of the difference between a DC/PT and an LAc. Those practicing in the medical community should realize when they're outside of their primary training and refer appropriately. Unfortunately, when it comes to acupuncture and Chinese medicine, they often do not.
All that aside - is the dizziness a result of the needling? Probably, and especially so if you had no history of dizziness or vertigo prior to having this procedure done. My best guess is that the provider accidentally placed a needle too close to a nerve or put a different muscle into spasm which is now squeezing on a nerve. The sensation will likely go away in a couple of days - in other words this should not be permanent.
You can look on the internet for some neck stretches which may help to alleviate the issue in the interim. There are some other treatments that could help: massage, cupping or gua sha in the area, and acupuncture.
If you decide to try cupping, gua sha, or acupuncture, please make sure you're seeing an actual L.Ac. who has an NCCAOM national board certification. If you did happen to see an L.Ac. for the initial treatment, I'd do a couple of things:
1. Let them know what happened and what you're experiencing.
2. See what kind of thoughts they have about the issue and how to resolve it for you.
The other thing I'd do is look for an L.Ac. who treats distally/distant. Treating neck issues doesn't always require needles in the neck. Acupuncturists who specialize in treating distally will be able to address your neck problem by putting needles elsewhere on the body. This often reduces tension in the entire area, can make local needling much more effective, and reduces the odds of an adverse event like this occurring in the first place.
