What Does Acupuncture Feel Like

Last updated: July 24th, 2021

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine practice to stimulate certain acupuncture points to current imbalance within the body.  Acupuncture has been around for hundreds and thousands of years, dating back to 200 BCE. Unless you’ve actually experienced acupuncture with a trained professional it is hard to explain and though it doesn’t work for every symptom or aliment it has been proven effective for pain symptoms related to back ache, headaches and several others.  A completely safe treatment option for many aliments that has a very calming effect, which is probably why I’m enjoying it so much! Acupuncture is even an option for someone suffering from depression, anxiety or insomnia symptoms, like myself.

What can you expect from Acupuncture?

I can only tell you my personal experience and that from what I’ve learned from other’s everyone has a different experience – probably because we are all very unique and our acupuncture points being treated are different. Every person that goes to acupuncture has a different imbalance within their own body and they’re experiencing different symptoms or issues that acupuncture is there to help them with – which is why my experience probably won’t be the same as your experience.

What does acupuncture feel like and does it hurt?

Regardless of how we can all experience acupuncture differently, let me share with you how comforting, relaxing and helpful acupuncture has been for me.  Let me also put your mind at ease and tell you it does not hurt. My sister has been trying to have me go for a year now and I can honestly say I wish I would have listened to her sooner!

The treatment for starters does not hurt and the professional I see, Helen, took extra time the first appointment to walk through everything that happens, to explain acupuncture and to get to know my medical history and what I’m personally dealing with. It was very personal and I had to allow two full hours, which I had reservations about because I’m so busy but the extra personal time I believe helped ease my mind and make for an effective acupuncture appointment.

The room was very warm and Helen plays soft music and uses essential oil sprays based on my energy flow and what she is working to treat. I was skeptic of these but they really help to create a sense of calm and smell wonderful.

The needles can barely be felt (if at all) and Helen places them in different acupuncture points throughout my body to treat specific symptoms or where there are blocks of energy. I like to think of it as though my body has currents and sometimes the damns get backed up and need to be released so I can feel centered and healthy. If the infrastructure within my body is not working well together I won’t be as healthy and the acupuncture is helping to repair any infrastructure issues – so to speak. This is how I think of acupuncture and what is doing for me.

I spend time letting the needles work their “magic” and release any bad juju while laying comfortably on the table listening to the music. This is the time where I shut my eyes, relax and Helen leaves the room. It is very peaceful and occasionally I can feel tings from the needles – Helen says they are working. When shutting my eyes I see color spots and today I saw yellow. Helen says this is my third chakra and the power of me; I am working on who I am now. So very interesting because I am struggling with this and defining who I am for my business brand and how I can be a mom, wife and entrepreneur. I trying to seek this balance and here I am seeing yellow and that’s what it stands for. WOW! I also read that you can help clear your third chakra with Vitamin D and sunlight– which is exactly what I have been working on.  I am looking forward to reading more about colors and the different chakra – it is very interesting!

I digress. After about 45 minutes to 1-hour Helen returns to the room (she does check back often and can feel when I’m ready or done) and holds my head to release the energy.  This sounds odd and at first it felt odd but the first time I went I felt the energy began to flow and my stomach and bowls started gargling each time! Think of the blocked damn – when it was unblocked I could feel it, literally. It was really something amazing.  My second experience wasn’t the same, I didn’t feel it the same way but rather I felt as though my body was very heavy and numb and then it wasn’t.

Should you go an acupuncture specialist?

Everyone has to make this decision for themselves but if you’re a skeptic and don’t feel like acupuncture is something that will help you feel better, maybe it won’t help you but if you open your mind up to the experience it is my belief that acupuncture can be helpful in many different ways. For me, I’m going to help me relax and to ease the symptoms I’m having related to anxiety, depression and insomnia. I’m already going the natural route of taking vitamin D and melatonin and feel this is only going to help not hurt.

The cost is different for everyone depending on where you live but I have found it comparable to a massage. The difference for me is that while having a massage I cannot get my mind to shut off and I constantly have someone touching me to kneed those tension knots out of my shoulders and neck! With acupuncture my mind shuts off and I really do relax. Afterwards I feel very calm and rested. I’ve also noticed it is helping me with my symptoms and if I can help my energy flow within my body so that I feel better – it is well worth the time and cost.

Have you ever tried acupuncture and if so what was your experience?