There are rarely side effects from acupuncture when it’s performed by a licensed acupuncturist (as opposed to someone like a Physical Therapist, Chiropractor, or Physician who has taken a weekend course on dry-needling).
The most common side effect may be that you feel sleepy after the treatment. This is because acupuncture is very relaxing, and most of us need to relax more! If you’re concerned that you’ll not be able to drive safely after the appointment (most people feel fine to drive afterward), make arrangements for someone to help you.
Another common side-effect could be a small bruise from the needle. If you are on blood-thinning medication, have a blood-clotting disorder, or are deficient in vitamin C or iron, you may have more chances of bruising from the needles. Still, it’s something we’ll talk about during your initial consultation with us before we start your treatment.
If an acupoint feels tender after the treatment, this usually resolves itself in a few hours. An uncommon symptom after acupuncture is nerve tingling. This happens less than 1% of the time and is typically resolved in 1-2 weeks.
Pregnant women CAN get acupuncture safely, but we’ll need to know about your condition before the treatment, so we know which points to avoid in your session.
Some people experience painful acupuncture treatments. I’ve talked to some of these people and have found that this happens when acupuncturists put the needles directly in to the pain area (which is already inflamed) or have over-stimulated the needles. This is something that we actively avoid doing in our treatments.
Most of our patients commend us on our gentle yet effective needling style.
Our treatment tables are very comfortable and heated, and we'll give you a pager if you need us to come back into the room for any reason during your treatment.
