What feelings should I expect during an acupuncture treatment?

Let’s take a moment to talk about feelings! Though acupuncture can lead to the release of emotion, we’re talking about the physical feelings to expect during your acupuncture treatment. 

At Acutherapy Clinics we consider acupuncture to be sensational! Acupuncture doesn’t only relieve stress and pain ultimately promoting holistic healing, treatment will also involve literal sensations. Many patients experience feelings such as tingling, electric, warmness, heaviness, numbness, soreness, dullness, or radiating. These sensations are known as De Qi. De Qi is your body’s response to the needling and the signal that energy is starting to move. These feelings are a great sign because it means the stuck energy is getting unblocked.  

If you feel any sharp or burning sensations after the needles are inserted, it may mean that the position of the needle is off. We encourage you to let us know when a sensation doesn’t feel right so we can adjust the needle positioning. It is important that you try to move as little as possible during your treatment. Movement could change the angle of the needle leading to those unpleasant sensations. Please sit back and relax so you can fully enjoy your treatment and its benefits!  

After treatment, you may be left with a lingering feeling of heaviness. Some patients experience the phenomenon of “phantom needles” or the feeling of the needles still being inserted. While an odd sensation, it is actually a great sign that the treatment is working well.