WHY DO ACUPUNCTURISTS USE NEEDLES
(A humourous explanation of why I am still an acupuncturist)

 "One Small Needle Cures a Thousand Illnesses”. Ancient Chinese Saying.

Many people do not like needles and as an acupuncturist I do not really like them either however I am growing to love them as the years go by.

If anything worked better than a needle I would most certainly go for it and use that rather than having to nurse people through the anxiety of their first acupuncture experience. I say first because most after one session kinda get it and see the light so to speak. Often just one acu-point is enough to convince one that hey there is nothing to it. As in did you put it in yet? Is is really done I didn't feel anything. And yes this is true and no exaggeration and you are being a bit ridiculous if you are still convinced the needles are to scarey.

So this is for you newbies who are still traumatized by nurse Kratchet in grade one getting your booster shot. I don't stab people I gently place the needles in the appropriate feel good spots not inside your deltoid muscle tendon attachment which hurts for a good minute or two. I do not inject a burning substance either.
Also the "needle" if you can call it that is more of a filament or a wire not a needle for it has no hole in the middle. In fact you can fit 5 acupuncture needles inside one hypodermic. I actually proved it just now.
There is more like 4.5 but you get the idea and if you translate the amount of possible discomfort by the size well right of the bat you have about 10 times less discomfort from an acupuncture needle. No doubt this is logarithmic scale as well.

So also the needles or filaments are coated to be extra smooth, microscpopically sharpened to be again extra pain free. Also the method of inserting the needles is practiced for at least a month or so on potatoes, oranges and all sorts of fruit before even attempting on one self. And yes the next level of training is on oneself for a while to get a feel for painless insertion. Then you get to try it on your classmates for a good year or so. They are not very forgiving patients and if you are not gentle then you are not getting any practice next class.

So after all that then you try it under supervision of your professor on some well chosen patients. This you do for another year. Then finally you are ready to insert needles safely into where ever on the body they are needed.

So this is why I started to like needles one I used them so much it was a relationship that was well developed and nurtured for four years before even practising.  Also the so called pain people fear is always less than any other therapy I know.. It is even less painful than swallowing a pill.

I still do allot of massage and when I do it is always amazing how you can press your elbow into a muscle and still it does not even budge. That sore knot sometimes will never go  away. But, a small needle painlessly almost mysteriously placed and magic it just melts away.  It is amazing.

Also I have massaged shoulders for a half hour and little or no improvement. Two needles and in 5 seconds the shoulder pain disappears and mobility increases. The main reason I am learning to love needles as well as my clients is they work magic. Well scientifically tested magic for you sceptics wanting to sound alert bells. He said "Magic" I smell woo woo here. Calm down it is just a muscle twitch its not really magic.

Another reason I like needles is because I only have two thumbs. Yea so you may say me two. Well in this fast paced world what if you don't have time to spend an hour pressing on more than a few points. What if you want to press on a few areas for a long time. Well that's what needles are for. They allow one to stimulate multiple areas at the same time. As an acupunturist you now have not two but ten or more thumbs all working painlessly in concert with very little effort on your part. If you see a few clients an hour you can multiply that by up to ten so its like having 100 thumbs. They can all work away pressing while you have a nice cup of herbal tea and check on the rest of your schedule for the day or your blog for that matter. Isn't that great. No sore hands just happy clients.

Whats not to love about that. Am I starting to get your attention why needles are really the greatest health invention yet.

Needles even can replace exersize. This sounds rediculous does it not. But its true. You can stimulate blood flow, energize limbs, organs all in the same way exersize does. This is great for bedridden people or tired stiff or sick people. You don't need to walk you can even help asthma and breathing with needles. Whats not to love.

Now you might still be wondering or thinking about the movie Hell Raiser one of the worst horror films ever but everyone seems to know it. So I will say many famous movie stars and not so famous housewives love to have needles in thier face. What? Thats disgusting thats terrible I am never getting acupunture period now. That is it. BUT WAIT. Why do they do this well... its because it removes wrinkles and makes you look years younger.  True fact. It is less painful than a facial or a scrub. The results are instant and last for years often. So what is not to love about that. Painless, natural and beautiful. Yes acupunture needles make you look beautiful. I am ashamed to say it but many of my clients come only for that very reason. They love the results of getting needles in their wrinkles.

So needles work your muscle knots out instantly, are painless, remove wrinkles, allow you to have multiple areas treated and clients treated at the same time these are just a few reasons I am starting to Love Needles.

You might wonder why it is the oldest documented medicine, the most popular health care in the world by population anyway and why it just won't go away. Now we are seeing Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Medical Doctors, Naturopaths, Nurses and a few other medical professionals using Needles. With all the tools they have why would they want to scare their patients away with needles. Well I would say because they just work so great on pain problems especially.

So in why do we use needles? Only for one reason and thats because they work better than massage, counselling, exersize, stretching, herbal medicine if they did not I personally would avoid them altogether. Why go through the hassle the insurance the protocols to avoid infection, the everything they are needles and a medical sharp at that. Why do that? Because I want to help people feel better, be better and to make a better world by empowering people to achieve their best.

Sounds lofty I know but it has been only through using a simple thin steel filament that has given me the most satisfaction the best results and a feeling of real pride in what I do. It is not for the money thats for sure anything else would be more lucrative than acupuncture. I have some attachment to needles as you can see but I am always looking for the next best thing. So far I have not seen it accept for maybe injections into muscles but that is a bigger needle and another blog. Lasers might be the ticket we will see.

 I hope when you experience the needle guiding your body to create a new healing reaction you remember all the reasons why you decided to use needles for your healing too. Oh yea and I forgot to mention the wonderful euphoria you get from acupuncture that lasts often the whole day.