Thursday Q&A: Ahhh Needles!

Acupuncture Chick – Your Expert on Chinese Medicine and All Things Health
Jessica Tatieze, LAc

I don’t know a lot of people who love needles, in fact I don’t even like most needles! But when it comes to acupuncture needles, most don’t realize just how tiny the needles are. People are often reluctant to try acupuncture simply because of their dread of needles, but in most cases the fear itself is actually worse than the actual needles. Last Thursday’s Q&A was a question I hear often and I think if more people knew just how unintimidating acupuncture needles are, they may be more apt to try it.

Check out last Thursday’s Q&A:
Q: How big are the acupuncture needles?
A: The needles are much smaller than most people realize. They are about as thin as one human hair and I hear that up to about 7 acupuncture needles can fit inside one ordinary 14 gauge hypodermic needle. The length can vary based on which area of the body is being worked on and depending on the practitioner’s style, but I rarely use needles longer than one inch and each needle is inserted about ¼-¾ of the way in. Most patients are pleasantly surprised at how tiny the needles are and they can hardly feel them. They are tiny compared to the needles we see used on us to draw blood or give shots.

Have something you've been wondering about acupuncture or Chinese Medicine? E-mail questions to jessica@jessicatatieze.com and each Thursday a new question will be posted with the answer.

Don’t let fear keep you from trying something that could change your life for the better!

 
“I'm afraid of needles, except acupuncture needles.” Catherine O'Hara