Acupuncture Needles - Are They Really Necessary?

The Chinese learnt how to unblock chi, or energy as we know it, by inserting needles at certain points on the body to help find a balance between the opposing forces of yin and yang. This Chi or energy is thought to permeate all things and is believed to flow through the entire body along 14 main pathways that are also called meridians.

In case the yin and yang exist in harmony, the chi flows without obstruction within the body and the person stays healthy. Sickness comes about when there are obstructions to the flow of chi along any of the meridians. Acupuncture needles need to be used to unblock the obstructed points and enable free flow of chi along the meridians of the body, once again.

Only FDA-approved needles should be used by acupuncturists

Acupuncture is an old method of treatment going back more than 2,000 years and even, 4000 years according to some. In today's world, the acupuncture needles have undergone some change and there are acupuncture needles that are twirled, heated or even stirred using low electrical current, ultrasound as well as some light wavelengths.

It is believed that in March 1996, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had classified acupuncture needles as being medical devices that are to be used for general use by professionally trained personnel. Prior to this, these needles had been classified such that they could be used only in approved research projects. This was the reason why acupuncture needles were not covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

There are also a wide variety of different acupuncture needles that are being sold on the market and this naturally means that the number of companies selling acupuncture needles is also aplenty. There are various kinds of needles that include disposable acupuncture needles, Carbo acupuncture needles, and Seirin acupuncture needles.

While an acupuncture treatment session is ongoing there could be just one or as many as 20 FDA-approved, metallic acupuncture needles inserted into the patient's body that might only break the surface or even penetrate 1 to several inches long. In the case of deep muscle/fat layers or along the skin or scalp, longer needles may be used whose size may be five to nine inches and it only depends on what is being treated and the required penetration needed.

Acupuncture needles are mostly left in for about 15 to 30 minutes and there are also some acupuncturists who insert the needles and twirl them in either one or both directions, depending on the result they wish to achieve. Such acupuncture needles may be inserted for just 10 seconds and then removed and the same needle may then be used again at different points on the body.

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