As with all methods of health care acupuncture has some risk. These risks are minimised when acupuncture is performed by a registered Chinese medicine acupuncturist as these practitioners receive the most extensive acupuncture training available undertaking a 4-year degree and 400 hours of practical training in safe and comfortable needling.
Ask your acupuncturist if they are registered with the Chinese medicine council of New Zealand to ensure this standard of safety.
Risks in acupuncture treatment
Somewhat common
- Pain at the point of needling during and after treatment, this will generally pass in time but let your practitioner know if you are concerned.
- Bleeding on needle removal, this is usually easily prevented by applying cotton wool and pressure after withdrawl.
- Bruising
- Occasionally people can feel faint with treatment. This can be associated to anxiety, fatigue or hunger. This is usually a sensation that passes quickly and helped by taking a sip of water and laying down, waiting for a minute as it passes.
Very uncommon
- Small infection at the site of needling.
- Needle bending, becoming stuck or breaking. All of these potential occurrences have clear safety management guidelines for the acupuncturist to follow and are very very uncommon.
Extremely uncommon
- Risks associated with needle penetration is the puncturing of an organ. However, when acupuncture is performed with appropriate care by an experienced clinician, these risks are extremely low at potentially 1:1,000,000
Acupuncture with us
At The House Of Acupuncture we are aware that your experience with us needs to be safe and feel comfortable for it to be therapeutic.
We will let you know the potential benefits of a treatment and inform you of the potential risks associated and then ask you if you would like to use it. We will not be offended if you say no.
Our moral and professional codes dictate we provide written informed consent before treatment and ongoing verbal consent during treatment, so you are in control and informed of what happens to your body.
For your safety traditional Chinese medicine acupuncturists are required by registration to undertake ongoing professional training of 20 hours per year, this ensures up-to-date practice in professional issues such as ethics, safety, hygiene, and other practice standards.
