Are you needlephobic?

Many clients are apprehensive about their first acupuncture session. This is understandable - nobody likes needles after all!

However given the huge range of health benefits of acupuncture it would be a shame to let needlephobia put you off trying it. I've chosen the photo above to demonstrate just how tiny an acupuncture needle is compared to a medical needle used for taking blood samples etc.

At only 1/4 of a millimeter the acupuncture needle can hardly be felt during insertion, and any sensation you do feel will be as a result of chi flowing into the region as the specific acupuncture point is activated. The sensation of chi flowing is typically described as heavy, tingling and warm - and these are all very positive signs.

I treat all clients according to their own level of comfort and tolerance so perhaps in the initial session you can try just 1 to 5 needles and see how you feel with a gentle introduction, building up to a more comprehensive treatment as your confidence grows.

If all else fails and you still struggle with fear of needles I can provide a non invasive 'tui na' massage which puts pressure on the specific acupoints using the fingers to achieve similar results but over a slightly longer period of time.

I hope this blog post was reassuring and my advice to anyone unsure about acupuncture needles would always be to come in for a free consultation and we can discuss any concerns in detail face to face.