Definition
Pain is a rare side effect of acupuncture. Primarily, acupuncture is used to treat a specific pain. However, the treatment itself can cause pain, which can be divided into primary and secondary pain.
The secondary pain is not exactly clarified and an organic cause cannot be found medically. They can occur at the site to be treated in the sense of an initial aggravation, but also in other areas of the body and organs as a reaction to acupuncture. Primary pain, on the other hand, occurs as a direct reaction of the stung tissue. Each person reacts differently to the placement of the needles, which subjectively describes more or less pain.
Causes of pain after acupuncture
Concrete causes of pain as a primary reaction to the pricked needles can be different. In the vast majority of cases it is only slight irritation and minimal injury to local tissue. During pricking, small structures such as blood vessels, nerves and muscles under the skin can be injured.
The only very thin needles can irritate the fragile structures of the subcutaneous tissue, but usually do not cause long-term damage. Injuries to the blood vessels can cause small bleedings and bruises, nerve injuries can cause increased pain or a shooting, electrifying feeling, and muscle irritation can cause tension or muscle ache. The number of needles and the type of prick also have an influence on the local pain.
For very sensitive persons, the treatment may have to be adjusted. In these cases it is also possible to switch to ear acupuncture. A very rare local complication nowadays is infection.
Under unhygienic conditions, pathogens can get under the skin via the acupuncture needle and cause an inflammation. However, in modern medical practices or with professional alternative practitioners, the needles used are usually sterile. More rarely, secondary pain may occur.
Here, foreign body regions and organs, in direct temporal connection with the acupuncture session, can cause pain. There is not always a causal connection to the pain, but such pain can occur as a reaction to the acupuncture stimuli. If the pain affects the already aching organ area that was the aim of the treatment, one can also speak of an initial worsening.
All articles in this series:
