How Big Are The Needles?

Who likes needles? Not most of us!

Surprisingly only 20% of people have a true fear or phobia of needles. Source

The rest of us just don't like being poked very much. I still don't like to have my blood drawn with that big needle, and I avoid shots in general but if I ever do have to get one it's not the most fun experience. But I am here to tell you that acupuncture needles are so much smaller and not even near as painful. If you have never had acupuncture then you are probably wondering "Does it hurt?" and I am here to tell you it does not!

The needles the acupuncturist uses are actually in the filament, or filiform, category instead of needle. They are not hollow like a needle to draw your blood. The thin needles are made of stainless steel so they are flexible but will not break. After each use the needles are disposed of them so they are never reused. Usually before the needle is placed the area is wiped with alcohol to sterilize the skin.

Here is a great comparison of the acupuncture needle to a sewing needle, syringe, and match stick:

Size of the acupuncture needle can vary from 13 to 130mm in length. At Jade Star Acupuncture, Jennifer usually uses a mm needle for most uses. When doing facial acupuncture, also known as Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture, she uses mm needles. The diameter of the needles ranges from .16mm to .46mm, and the face needles are mm wide.

Here is a variety of different needles used for different areas of the body and for different reasons:

What is most important to note I think is the fact that needles do not go deep into the skin usually. Most people seem to have a fear that the needle is going to go too deep or cause pain inside but generally the needle is only 1/4 inch into the skin. In areas where you have thin skin like your face or wrist the needles are even more shallow, they are just barely set into the skin and will sometimes even fall out. Areas with thicker tissue such as the buttocks will take a much longer needle and go in 3-4 inches to treat sciatica.

In my experience with acupuncture, what makes the biggest difference is the practitioner and how they insert the needles. From what I have learned there are different methods to how the needle can be placed and an acupuncturist that is very skilled will cause the least amount of pain with insertion. The areas that still hurt are usually areas that need treatment. Such as if you are having intestinal issues and a needle is placed at a point that is meant for digestion problems, then it may be painful, but the pain subsides quickly.

My hope is that this information will help ease your worry about the size and potential pain from the acupuncture needle. If you have any questions, comments, or are ready to schedule an appointment, please give us a call at 520-881-0827. 

Dragon’s Blood Stops Bleeding and Heals Wounds

Dragon's Blood

Also known as Xue Jie, Daemonoropis Resina, or Draconis Sanguis.

I’ll admit it… I’m a nerd! I love the idea of dragons and when I learned about this herb I was instantly in love! Not only does it have a great name but the visual of Dragon’s Blood is beautiful! Dark red, iron-like and shiny, it’s just amazing!

Dragon’s Blood is actually the resin secretion from Daemononrops draco. Mature fruit is collected and dried, then put in a basket with rough sea shells. The basket is shaken so all the resin falls off the fruit, then it is sifted and wrapped in a cloth bag and boiled until it melts. After it melts, it is removed from the bag and cooled and often stamped with a gold mark to identify the product.

Dragons blood fruit is used in Chinese medicine to heal skin wounds and stop bleeding. 

You will find Dragon’s Blood (xue jie) in Alpine Herb’s remedy called Myrrh Liniment. The reason I added this in my recipe is because the resin generates flesh, assists sores and wounds to heal and stops bleeding. When combined with Olibanum aka Frankincense (ru xiang) and Myrrha (mo yao) they all promote movement when blood as stagnated, stop pain, generate flesh, reduce swelling, and assist the healing of sores.

Myrrh Liniment is used for any sprains, strains, brusies and more. 

References: Bensky, D., Clavey, S., Stoger, E. (2004). Chinese Herbal Medicine material Medica. 3^rd Edition. Eastland Press, Inc.

Acupuncture Treatment for Children

Did you know that acupuncture can help children too? I have a 5 year old boy that came in for treatment for acid re-flux that was extremely painful and deeply worried his parents on what to do for him. After only 3 treatments and an herbal formula, the re-flux is gone and he is pain free.

I've also treated a 9 year old for juvenile arthritis which is dramatically worse during his growth spurts. In conjunction with his rhumatologist, we have developed a treatment plan that eases his pain during times of growth and has eliminated it otherwise. This child came in for treatment daily for the first week and then twice a week for a couple months. Now I see him during his growth times. 

As most of us know kids seem to get a lot of colds and I see many children for this. Often I do cupping therapy for colds on children.

A 11 year old girl has been receiving treatment for the sadness she feels from being bullied at school. She is able to process these emotions through acupuncture. 

A 15 year old boy with cluster migraines for several months came in and through pulse balancing his migraines have not returned and he said to me, "I feel like I can just be myself again".

I think as adults we often think children have it easy, but they get stressed and have pain and heartache too. Through the treatment of acupuncture they can better process and digest their lives so they well adjusted people as they get older, instead of holding onto baggage that they don't need.


Jennifer Parks, L.AC.
Jade Star Acupuncture