The Needles used in Acupuncture
The acu-puncture needles used by acupuncture are sterile and are disposed
of after each treatment.
During acupuncture treatment, most patients feel little sensation on
needle insertion due to the fineness of the needle's point. Acupunc-ture
needles simply separate the tissues with their sharp conical points. After
insertion the patient may feel sensations of heaviness, dullness, tingling,
or warmth. This is an indication that the Qi in the meridian has been
tapped. These sensations may be localized at the insertion site or may
be felt traveling along the course of the acupuncture me-ridian. This
sensation is traditionally called obtaining Qi or "deQi" and
is an important part of the therapeutic action of acupuncture. This sensation
is the movement of the Qi within the body and indi-cates the potential
effectiveness of the treatment.
Choosing the correct acupuncture points is another important key in acupuncture
therapy. Each acupuncture point has characteris-tic functions that, when
stimulated, influence the Qi in the merid-ians in specific ways. The combination
of points chosen and the way those points are stimulated is a major factor
in how effective an acu-puncture treatment is. Some treatments require
only two or three points, whereas other treatments may require using a
dozen or more acupuncture points. The number of points chosen may also
vary from treatment to treatment. The Chinese have an old adage, "You
never treat the same patient twice." This means that we mirror nature
and the seasons and that our Qi is constantly moving and in flux. Our
physiology, as well as our emotional state and mental processes, are different
with each passing moment. This is why the practitioner of Chinese medicine
may vary the treatment each time, for in each treat-ment we are treating
an energetically different individual.
Acupuncture needles vary in length and width. The most commonly used
needles are only about 1" to 1 1/2" in length. The depth of
needle insertion usually depends on the site being needled. Some areas
are more fleshy, such as the buttocks, legs, and upper arms, and would
naturally require deeper needle insertion be-cause the meridians run deeper
at these locations. Other areas, such as the face, hands, and feet, which
have much less tissue, call for a more shallow needling technique.
Intradermal needles are only a fraction of an inch in length and are
often taped onto the skin after they are inserted. They can be worn for
a number of days. They cause no discomfort and provide constant stimulation
to the acupuncture point over the time that they are worn.
Acupuncture therapists often use microacupuncture systems, for example,
the systems on the ear, the face, the hand, the foot, the scalp, and the
orbit surrounding the eye. A microacupuncture system is one in which the
entire body is represented over a small portion of the skin, such as the
ear.
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