“Is it normal to feel dizzy after acupuncture?”
After my last acupuncture treatment, I felt really dizzy. Is it normal?
24 Answers
AcupuncturistAcupuncture
Yes, acupuncture works well for dizziness and vertigo.
Deep stimulation may trigger your brain to release more serotonin and temporarily drop your blood pressure; therefore, we usually suggest not driving away quickly. Relax in the waiting room or your car and drink plenty of fluid to prevent dizziness.
With acupuncture, we try to warn the patient to have had some sustenance prior to treatment. In school, there have been some instances where the patient skipped breakfast or missed a meal and received treatment, but during treatment passed out and the professor would need to be called to wake the patient up. This was explained as the patient losing the qi to the acupuncture treatment, acupuncture has a strong affect on one's qi, life force, and can easily influence, so if someone was weak, there wouldn't be enough qi to keep the patient coherent. The dizziness may be the lightest presentation of qi influence, either the treatment was too strong or the patient was just strong enough to just get dizzy and not pass out. Warn the practitioner about your dizziness, and also if it's in relation to a menstrual cycle/pregnancy; treatments are to be lighter during those times.
Live happy,
Michael
Live happy,
Michael
A lower sugar level will cause dizziness.
I wouldn't say it's normal, but sometimes it does have different reactions per patient.
It can be a common side effect of acupuncture. What's happening is that the needles are displacing energy, or qi, that has been stuck or deficient. With the shift in energy, it may feel like unstopping a dam and dizziness can result. If it takes more than a few hours to resolve, then contact your practitioner and ask their opinion on what to do next. But if it was just a fleeting feeling and hopefully, very mild, then I would say that is quite normal and will become less frequent, or less pronounced with several treatments.
People report that they experience a variety of sensations following acupuncture. Often, there is a healing response which is the body's way of healing. While dizziness is not a typical response, if it is something in your history, it could be a healing response. There are many possibilities. It could be an indication that the treatment was too much for your body to assimilate, or perhaps that you hadn't eaten or drank enough beforehand. I would encourage you to address your questions directly to your acupuncturist so you can both evaluate the treatment performed and adjust accordingly.
Be well,
Larissa Stewart, LAc.
Be well,
Larissa Stewart, LAc.
Thank you for your question. Everyone has different experiences with acupuncture. It is my clinical experience that when people feel dizzy after a treatment it typically only lasts a few moments and can be from being either hungry or dehydrated and/or the point selection of the treatment may have moved the qi (the energy within the body that is activated by the acupuncture needles to nourish the organs and tissues). If this lasts longer than a few hours I would suggest you connect with your acupuncturists. There shouldn't be any area for concern, but your acupuncturist would likely want to know that you had this experience to best advise you.
Thanks again for the question.
Warm regards,
Leanne Mitchell
Thanks again for the question.
Warm regards,
Leanne Mitchell
Yes, it is very normal to feel dizzy after getting acupuncture treatment done. That is why we suggest you drink a lot of water and not to do any hard or heavy lifting/workouts for the few hours following your treatments.
Thank you!
Ashley Griffith
Thank you!
Ashley Griffith
Not all the time, but it happens sometimes when the blood flow is improved a lot. Dizziness from acupuncture treatment would be gone with in an hour.
It happens for different reason, and it could be normal. Ask your acupuncturist.
Yes, it is normal to feel dizzy or lightheaded after receiving acupuncture. This practice is meant to help stimulate a healing response, whether physical, mental or emotional. With healing, there is a lot of 'movement' of what we call Qi - the 'energy' within flowing throughout the system. movement can be subtle or intense, depending on the person and their reaction to acupuncture. Be sure to let your practitioner know what you are feeling - he/she should suggest taking your time getting off the table, sitting up for a minute or so before getting up and leaving, some extra water that day, and blocking out time to relax and unwind after a treatment.
Yes. But be sure to eat beforehand and come hydrated (flat water, not bubbly).
People can get dizzy after an acupuncture treatment when A. They don't have a proper meal before the treatment B. When the treatment is one that does some moving of blood and this gets the brain to be more oxygenated (i.e. it's getting fed oxygen) or when a person gets super relaxed from the treatment and just gets up too quickly.
it isn't a serious side effect, but beware that it happens to you so try to keep your practitioner informed so they can alleviate it next time.
it isn't a serious side effect, but beware that it happens to you so try to keep your practitioner informed so they can alleviate it next time.
It's not "normal" but it isn't uncommon. Typically, when patients feel lightheaded or dizzy after a treatment, it's because they didn't eat or drink enough prior to treatment. You don't want to come in on a full stomach, but make sure you're not hungry. I recommend my patients eat something about an hour before so there is time for you to digest. Another reason may be because your practitioner put more needles in the upper part of your body than the lower part. This can cause your energy to rise and leave you feeling dizzy.
Yes, especially if you didn't eat prior to your acupuncture treatments
No, it is abnormal to feel dizzy after acupuncture. It may be something wrong with the treatment.
One of acupuncture's effects is to lower or normalize blood pressure. If you are a hypertensive patient, the combination of the drug and the acupuncture may have lowered your blood pressure too far which can result in some mild dizziness - especially when going from laying/seated to standing.
If you're not a hypertensive patient, then no, it's probably not normal. I suggest you have a discussion with your acupuncture provider and describe what happened after your treatment. It may help them to adjust their treatment in order to avoid future occurrences.
If you're not a hypertensive patient, then no, it's probably not normal. I suggest you have a discussion with your acupuncture provider and describe what happened after your treatment. It may help them to adjust their treatment in order to avoid future occurrences.
I do not know what was done. If you got up from the treatment table too fast, I would say yes, it is normal to feel this way. If you have been fasting, yes, that would happen.
Be well, be confident, we can help.
Be well, be confident, we can help.
Yes! Your acupuncturist should inform you to have a meal, plenty of water, or a good amount of rest before each acupuncture session. Or the treatment was too strong for you. Please consult with your acupuncturist about this issue.
Getting up quickly from the acupuncture table can cause lightheadedness, as can coming for acupuncture on an empty stomach.
If it is your first time receiving acupuncture, yes. If you have gotten up fast from the table, yes.
Yes, my instructions to my patients after their treatments is to just sit for a minute because some folks are a little dizzy after their treatment. They also tend to be extremely relaxed afterwards - we call it acu-stoned. So, I warn folks to be careful driving home. Having said that, if you were extremely dizzy for more than just a few minutes, the treatment was probably too strong, so be sure to tell your practitioner at your next appointment so they can lighten the treatment.
This can and does happen. Did you eat before your treatment? If not be sure to do so next time. If you did eat and you were still dizzy, it may have been a little strong for you. Likely dizziness will go away shortly thereafter.
