Side Effects Relating to Acupuncture – What are they?
Although the situations where serious side effects have arisen when people are being treated using acupuncture are rare they do still occur. In fact many of the side effects a person may feel will be minor, because acupuncture involves the insertion of needles into the skin there is the chance that a harmful effect may occur.
First all we will define what acupuncture is. Simply it is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine which has been practiced for at least 5,000 years in China and has slowly spread around the Globe. It is now widely practiced not just in Chine but in many other countries as well including the USA. It involves the insertion of needles into a persons body on points which line along the Meridians (energy lines) of a persons body in order to help to heal an disease or condition or treat an addiction (such as smoking).
There are some minor side effects which may occur when a person is being treated using acupuncture and are harmless and will clear up of their own accord without the patient requiring any additional treatment. These include such effects as bruising, bleeding when the needles are removed. There are also some psychological side effects that a patient may feel which include dizziness and fainting. In fact these side effects are some what similar to what a person will feel when either having an injection or having blood taken.
However, there are some side effects relating to acupuncture which are rarer and details are provided below.
1. Infection – Since needles need to be inserted into the body there is the potential for bacteria being introduced into a persons bloodstream and causing an infection at either the site where the needle was inserted on elsewhere within the body. There for it is important that the sterilization process of all needles used in acupuncture is strictly adhered to so that the chance of them being contaminated is reduced. Needles which have not been correctly sterilized can transmit such diseases as AIDS/HIV as well as Hepatitis and Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease).
2. Nerve Damage – This often occurs when a nerve has either been pierced or nicked during the stage when the needle is being inserted.
3. Organ Punctures – The insertion of a needle deep into a persons lung can cause a pneumothorax and which results in air being able to escape from a persons lung causing it to collapse. There is also the potential for either a kidney or the protective sac around the heart to be punctured and should the needle be inserted incorrectly into the base of the skull may result in the chance of a stroke being induced in that patient.
But because acupuncturists are highly trained they are taught to avoid the above and so the harmful side effects shown above whilst being treated using acupuncture are indeed quite rare. However, if you really want to make sure that you reduce these risks it is important that you got to a qualified and licensed acupuncturist and ensure that they provide you with details on the procedures that they use for sterilizing needles.
|
Get the highest quality natural herbal remedies remedies formulated by a leading clinical psychologist at
Native Remedies
Recommended Books
|
|
|
