Aupuncture, does it hurt ? needles do

One of the questions we are often asked by new clients or those persons who are inquiring about acupuncture is "does it hurt ? "
In general my answer to that question is going to be no, but, having said that we don't always know to what degree a person experiences pain and or what that person conceives as being pain.
As a therapist it is necessary that the client feels as comfortable as possible with whatever type of treatment you are giving them regardless of whether it is acupuncture or some other form of treatment as this generally enhances the persons experience and improves outcome in general.

You often hear the saying "no pain no gain", In my opinion this is a matter of degree and should always be taken on a case by case basis.

Needle insertion
In general if a person is receiving acupuncture from a qualified practitioner there should be very little or no pain with insertion of the needle. This will also depend on the points being selected as some points are a lot more sensitive than others, those points on or near the tips of the fingers may be more sensitive than those in more fleshy areas.

The client may feel a slight tapping sensation if the therapist is using a guide tube to insert or there maybe at most a slight pricking sensation, this may happen more easily if the therapist is inserting the needle without the use of a guide tube.

If the person experiences sharp pain and especially if the pain remains present after the needle is inserted more deeply this is not always a good sign, having said this this is where it becomes somewhat difficult to explain.. After the needle has been inserted there is a sensation that is known as de qi in traditional terms or needle sensation, In my opinion this sensation is often mistaken by clients as pain and for some people can be a little off putting.

The person experiencing the needle sensation may experience it in one or more of many ways, it may be, a distending dull ache, slight warmth, slight cold, slight numbness or electric sensation. The sensation maybe localized or migrate up or down the meridian pathway. Those persons that are very sensitive may experience this sensation up to quite a distance from the actual point of insertion but in my experience this doesn't happen very often.

Not all people feel this sensation and to some it may feel it a little off putting, but by understanding what is happening it may help to make what maybe unpleasant to some bearable.
This needle sensation is an important part of the acupuncture experience as it is an indication to the therapist that the qi energy has been activated and by doing so improve the general outcome.

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Sprains and strains

Sprains and strains

Tendon and ligament injury

Both ligament sprain and tendon and muscle strains are common, they occur not only in persons who do a lot of sports but also those who don’t do enough exercise, overuse and trauma situations.

The ligament joins a bone to a bone

The tendon connects the muscle to the bone.

A sprain is stretching or tear of a ligament where a strain is an injury to a tendon or muscle where there is micro-tearing, more severe tearing or overstretching.

Both sprains and strains result in pain, some cases more than others depending on the severity of the injury. More often than not other symptoms such as swelling, heat in the affected joint, instability of the involved joint or muscle spasm and or lack of strength in the muscle also occur as a result of the injury. It may be difficult to put weight on the affected joint.

Diagnosis will be based on the symptoms, and graded by severity of the injury. In severe cases it’s important to eliminate other possible injury such as fracture to the bones of the affected joint.

General advice given with this type of injury is (RICE) rest, ice, compression, elevation.

Anti-inflammatory medication may be given.

Physiotherapy is usually advised as part of the rehabilitation process.

Chinese medicine,

This type of injury may fall into the category of bi syndrome ( blockage) of the affected channels involved. There may be variations of the diagnosis in Chinese medicine terminology that reflect the pattern being presented and depending on the type of injury and location.

Acupuncture can be extremely effective in helping to reduce inflammation which will in turn improve blood circulation and help to relieve pain. This will speed up the recovery process.

The acupuncturist will also take into account any underlying energetic imbalances the person maybe presenting with and help to correct these which will also aid the recovery process.

These injuries can sometimes be frustrating as they can be slow to heal. Both tendons and ligaments have poor blood supply, they can take much longer to repair than a torn muscle which has a huge blood supply by comparison.

Over straining the tendon or ligament may aggravate the situation, if you need to work or are going to attempt exercise strap the sprained area or wear a support initially for some time after the initial injury.

Rehabilitating the injured ankle or wrist is a important and may take some time to build strength back into the affected joint.

Rotating the toes and ankle

Helpful

Rotating the toes and ankles gently can be very effective once the swelling has gone and most initial pain has begun to subside, only rotate in the direction that feels best or has no pain.   

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