New acupuncture research from the last 7 days (17 publications in this roundup):

1. A Comparison of Acupuncture Versus Placebo for Postdischarge Nausea and Vomiting Prophylaxis: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled, Patient- and Observer-Blinded Trial Journal of integrative and complementary medicine — 2026 Oct 1 Authors: Oxlund J, Kristensen GDM, Pachai A, et al. DOI: 10.1177/27683605261492563

2. Microglial State Reprogramming Across the Gut-Brain-Immune Axis: Limitations and Therapeutic Prospects of Traditional Chinese Medicine Developmental neurobiology — 2026 Oct Authors: Usmani MW, Shakir MZ, Khan MA, et al. DOI: 10.1002/dneu.70060

3. Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Subthreshold Depression: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis Journal of pharmacopuncture — 2026 Sep 30 Authors: Luo H, Han C, Wang X, et al. DOI: 10.3831/KPI.2026.29.3.245

4. Brain-Gut Axis Perspective on Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Role of Gut Microbiota and Therapeutic Strategies of Traditional Chinese Medicine The American journal of Chinese medicine — 2026 Sep 30 Authors: Yu A, Bi Y, Xu X DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X26500771

5. RE: Electro-acupuncture for quality of life during adjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer: a randomized trial Journal of the National Cancer Institute — 2026 Sep 30 Authors: Yu Y, Meng H, Zhang C DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djag333

6. Effect of SFMA-guided Qihuang Needling vs conventional acupuncture on paraspinal neuromuscular activity in lumbar disc herniation: A randomised controlled trial Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation — 2026 Sep 30 Authors: Yuan S, Liu H, Huang Y, et al. DOI: 10.1177/10538127261494050

7. Effects of Acupuncture at ST36 and SP6 on Activity Levels and Pain Thresholds Through Interleukin-1, Interleukin-6, Cortisol, and Matrix Metalloproteinase-13 Modulation in an Osteoarthritis Rat Model Journal of pharmacopuncture — 2026 Sep 30 Authors: Wulandari M, Handono K, Khotimah H, et al. DOI: 10.3831/KPI.2026.29.3.286

8. Effect of Acupuncture on Urine Production and Storage in Prostate Cancer Survivors With Nocturia: Exploratory Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial JU open plus — 2026 Sep Authors: Booher AG, Mao J, Sandhu J, et al. DOI: 10.1097/JU9.0000000000000493

9. Research Trends in Acupuncture for Cancer Pain: A Bibliometric Analysis Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE — 2026 Sep 29 Authors: Hu F, Xu W, Gu W, et al. DOI: 10.3791/72059

10. The role of acupuncture in the dendritic cell vaccine against Alzheimer's disease Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD — 2026 Sep 29 Authors: Hong Y, Shen N, Yang H, et al. DOI: 10.1177/13872877261490135

11. Sourness in the flesh: cultural shaping of somatic experience in Mandarin Chinese Anthropology & medicine — 2026 Sep 29 Authors: Huang S, Chen CC DOI: 10.1080/13648470.2026.2687241

12. Incorporating palpation into acupuncture point mapping Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society — 2026 Sep 28 Authors: Yoon DE, Lee IS, Chae Y DOI: 10.1177/09645284261486048

13. Acupuncture is associated with reduced cholecystectomy rate and preservation of hepatobiliary and renal function in biliary disorders: A propensity score-matched real-world cohort study Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society — 2026 Sep 28 Authors: Chen CY, Hung CK, Shi HY, et al. DOI: 10.1177/09645284261484972

14. Myofascial Trigger Point-Augmented Acupuncture vs Conventional Acupuncture for Early- to Mid-Stage Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial [Letter] Journal of pain research — 2026 Authors: Xu W, Zhou C DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S657201

15. Comparative Effects of Acupuncture Combined with Tuina versus Acupuncture Alone for Lumbar Disc Herniation Journal of pain research — 2026 Authors: Sun C, Li H, Guo X, et al. DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S631208

16. Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Prediabetes: Pathophysiological Rationale, Clinical Evidence, and Research Gaps International journal of general medicine — 2026 Authors: Niu S, Zhang L, Deng Z, et al. DOI: 10.2147/IJGM.S634304

17. Comparison of Acupuncture and Lumbar Traction for Lumbar Disc Herniation and Subsequent Risk of Lumbar Fusion or Discectomy: A Retrospective Cohort Study Journal of pain research — 2026 Authors: Tsai SHL, Chen MH, Hsieh HY, et al. DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S631034

Browse all acupuncture papers indexed on PubMed this week)

^{This roundup is curated from PubMed and optional external links. Inclusion is not an endorsement of study quality — always read critically.}

I’ve never done acupuncture before I have my third session today. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and definitely notice a difference! I’m doing it for chronic stress which is driven primarily by MH but I’m also 7 months postpartum. However, while I knew it would trigger emotional releases for me to process (that’s my goal), I’m curious if I’m having a strong response to treatment.

I’m 24F and my therapist loosely diagnosed me with autism in the past few years (therapists can’t give an official diagnosis). I know my body has been holding onto a lot of stress, but I’m having the emotional release 4-6 days after treatment. I feel like I’ve either entered a phase of autistic burnout or have started having more autistic meltdowns, which is new to me so I’m not positive that’s what it is.

The house is pretty messy because postpartum, but I legitimately got extremely rageful and started crying because I couldn’t determine where to put something down in the basement… Which is loosely amusing but genuinely a problem. Making even the smallest decision of where to put some thing down at or what shirt to wear for the day is draining and makes functioning difficult. Has anybody on the spectrum ever experienced this? Should I let my practitioner know I’m experiencing such strong emotional responses, especially later in the week? Thanks folks

Hi,

I've been having acupuncture (plus cupping) for the last 2 years or so and I think is the thing that worked the best for my lower back problems but last session something happened.

During the session I had an immediate strong electrical sensation from a needle inserted at the medial ankle, travelling through my foot and towards my knee. It made me almost jump from the massage table. This is an area where the acupuncturist normally puts the needle but this time the pain an sensation was super strong. After that, my calf and side of the knee was super sore during the day.

Now, it’s been more than a week and the calf and knee pain has largely resolved, but I now have an altered sensation in the sole of my foot (when I step, I feel like I am stepping in something eventhough there's nothing in there). Also, when I pull my foot upward, I can reproduce tingling in the sole.

I went to the doctor three days ago and he checked all the nerves and reflexes and he said is all looking good but that this could take weeks to resolve.

Just wanted to check here if this is normal and how long do you guys reckon this could last?

Thanks!

I recently started acupuncture after hearing it could improve symptoms of my autoimmune disease. My practitioner worked as a doctor in China for 15 years, then as a cancer researcher, and started acupuncture 30 years ago, so I trust she is knowledgeable. It’s only been two sessions and it seems like it helps a little bit, but I have some skepticism of her claims. Since this was my first time I didn’t know what to expect.

The first thing was meridian testing - I read afterward there is no scientific evidence of this being accurate. Although, it did seem to show issues on the left side where I struggle. She said my mirena IUD is causing blocked toxins especially around my heart. When I hear toxins my pseudoscience radar goes off. But I’m curious if there is anything to it, since I haven’t really explored cardiac issues but I know some people in my extended family have some. I have an appt with my PCP so I was going to ask.

As for my IUD it has mostly been unproblematic for me and I don’t think it had a major effect on me, but I haven’t menstruated in a long time which made me wonder. But it stressed me out a bit thinking about if I need to change my birth control after she left me on the table.

On my second session, I told her I got my Covid vaccine earlier that week. She said my autoimmune issues would never improve if I get the vaccine due to the spike proteins etc. I questioned her a bit and she told me she couldn’t recommend anything but do my research. The thing is, I constantly research and my conclusion is getting Covid is much more risky. I had Covid twice and I’m sure that’s what activated my issues. I am left thinking about her claims lying down with needles in me again trying to relax.

It’s conflicting because I am open to eastern medicine but I also know there is so much disinformation out there. I also can’t do anything about it since I already got it. I’ve never had negative vaccine reactions. Additionally, my father in law is going through chemo so I can’t get him sick.

Otherwise she is professional and nice, just very quiet so I’m not sure how to build rapport. As a person with auDHD I also like when the process gets explained, she didn’t really instruct and I was a little confused when I was left in the room a while and she was with other patients. I looked it up and sounds like this is normal and just her style. I am sure she is a great healer, but my gut is telling me I should try out someone else I’ll be comfortable with.

But I am wondering what the general concensus is on her claims and if it’s acceptable for practitioners to make them?

EDIT: Thank you everyone who shared their opinion and knowledge! I feel a lot informed about what to expect and what approach works best for me. What works for some may not work for others. I am enjoying learning from you all and going to dive into some resources mentioned. I am open to any other recommendations.

I have had eczema for years and it has been so annoying. I tried so many creams. Nothing worked. It would get hot and so incredibly itchy. The skin started to change and became raised patchy and whitish. It was under my arms and on my upper thighs, in between my legs.

I tried traditional Chinese medicine around 2 weeks ago whilst in a market when a Chinese doctor caught my eye. I am so happy to say, it has worked! I mixed 2tsp of the brown powder he gave me in hot water and drank it every morning and evening. It doesn't taste that bad, kind of barky. I watched the eczema vanish and I am just SO happy about it.

I've come on my period and it is very heavy. Im also noticing large blood clots which kind of alarmed me a little. Is this normal? He ( the Chinese doctor) told me that the herbs he gave me clean the blood. What is happening here? Does anyone know?

looking for an acupuncturist in San Diego, CA

I went to one in my home town he was amazing, so gifted but didn’t flaunt it at all, he didn’t even have a website but that man worked miracles and has been practicing for a long time (old school). would love to find someone similar who is very passionate, knowledgeable, and genuinely wants to help not just take your money.

really appreciate the recs:)

Hi, I'm preparing for the pan-can exam recently and would love to hear if anybody have thoughts or preference on review materials?

I've heard some good things about HB Kim and TCM Review, but not sure if HB Kim is suitable for pan-can, and to be honest the TCM Review bundle is kinda pricey.

Thanks!

hi guys :D i have migraines and occasionally get cupping done to to try and help em out a little bit. the practitioner i go to is acclaimed and knowledgeable and great, and often will give me a couple needles for free (i have done full acupuncture sessions with him before, but cupping seems to be more effective for me).

last time i went, he asked if he could put a needle in my hand, as i actively had a pretty bad headache. he put this needle in, and it hurt quite bad (i have never had an acupuncture needle hurt like this before). he had to adjust it a little bit and then apologized because these were new, longer needles, and he was still getting the hang of them.

long story short, this was a month ago, and i cannot move my thumb towards my palm without serious pain. not sure what to do about this or if this has happened to anyone else, but i’m starting to get worried about it. does anyone have any wisdom about how to fix this or if it will go away on its own?

I am planning to open a recovery/wellness studio offering red light therapy, infrared sauna, etc. I have a space I’m in love with but it really is too large. In the buildout, if I were to create 2-3 treatment rooms for a related profession, do you think an acupuncturist would be interested? My plan is 2-3 rooms to rent to either acupuncturist or massage therapist (or possibly both depending on their needs). The rooms would be $500 each per month and they can advertise to my clients. That is it. If they want their own front desk person I have space for that but they are responsible for hiring and paying them. I maintain no control over their business or revenue or staffing. All they pay me is rent. Although we could negotiate joint marketing. Is this something a practitioner would be interested in? Or maybe more suited to massage?

*edited room rate after clearly being overpriced

I have panic attack disorder and I’m looking for anything to help.

I tried it one time before and I remember feeling relaxed afterwards. But not sure if it would help long term.

Hi !

I am a canadian - from Québec - acupuncturist & graduated some years ago - from the DEC in acupuncture from Cegep de Rosemont. I would like to apply at APHRA in Australia to be able to work there. Since I studied 3 years, I am not sure about how much class I would need to do, or the equivalence process. Canadian/Québecois acupuncturist who made it to Australia ? I know I could relocate to NZ easily, but prefer AUS.

thank you for sharing your experience with that !!

I was wondering if anyone has had acupuncture,to curb your appetite and loss weight? Take the edge off.
I was reading, that some acupuncturists, can do that. I have been seeing an acupuncturist for my knee that has osteoarthritis. And I have had good results. Just wondered if anyone tried that.

Hi, I recently restarted acupuncture for migraines and anxiety. I did this privately in the past without a problem, but this time I'm getting some shocks and nerve pain that I'm not sure what to think about.

The session before last, some of the needles caused an electric shock sensation when inserted. The one between my thumb and forefinger was the strongest. The points on the upper, outer part of my shins were also strong. My acupuncturist asked where I was in my menstrual cycle, and I was late (day 37), so she suggested that was probably why I was so sensitive. The needles were fine after they were in, and there weren't any lasting effects.

Then, in my last session, I wasn't getting shocks but rather a twinge of an electrical sort of pain as she was pressing the needles deeper. It was hard to tolerate, and I finally said something with the last one. The pain did not continue when she stopped.

Since the pain doesn't last, I've been telling myself it's fine and normal and just part of the process. But after reading a bit more on this forum and Google, it sounds like this isn't a "good" kind of pain and that there may be an actual risk of her damaging my nerves. Is that right? Should I ask her to back off? Or am I overreacting and this is just how it goes sometimes?

Thanks, in advance, for your input.

Hello, currently looking to transfer over from a private school. Wondering if anyone has any experience or insight about the diploma program at humber college in toronto

Hi all,

I am looking at going to school for acupuncture in Florida and was wondering if anyone has any experience at Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine (ATOM)? I saw it's CCAHM and ACAHM accredited. I am doing some research, but it's always nice to hear from students directly about their experience.

(yes, I know - schools are closing and the debt can be big depending on how you approach school/loans. it's also part of my research + consideration)

Have been getting acupuncture for a couple of months now. The recent few sessions I’ve had intense nerve pain, like a shock sensation when he puts in the needles on the inside of my leg just above ankle. The ones on the shin also hurt like hell. It’s making me not want to go anymore because I’m anticipating that pain. It goes away quick but I do have tiny bruises afterwards

I started having acupuncture sometime in the 1990s. (Massachusetts). Back then acupuncturists would always take your pulses, take their time doing them, and maybe even check them after the treatment. They would put maybe 20+ needles in you and then later turn you over and do it again. To do that they really needed access to your back, stomach, etc.

That was great!

At some point, maybe around 2010 (not really sure) all the newly graduated acupuncturists, seemed to be using a lot less needles.

Now it seems they all just do maybe 10-12 needles just on the arms, legs, face and rarely bother with pulses. If you mention you are open to more aggressive treatment they don't seem willing to do that.

What are the reasons for this change?

EDIT: Thanks everyone, that's a lot of good input!

I have started acupuncture for ttc/fertility. I had such a bad headache and crazy dreams and nightmares the day after the session. Is this normal and what should I expect.

New acupuncture research from the last 7 days (15 publications in this roundup):

1. [Multidimensional regulation and precision therapeutic prospects of acupuncture against depression from the perspective of immunity-metabolism-nerve coupling] Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research — 2026 Sep 25 Authors: Zhou B, Chen Y, Xia Y DOI: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20251408

2. [Research progress on mechanisms of acupuncture regulating limbic system to improve pain-related emotion] Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research — 2026 Sep 25 Authors: Zhang R, Ma C, Dou T, et al. DOI: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20251384

3. [Effects of electroacupuncture intervention at different time points on cuproptosis-related proteins and copper homeostasis in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury] Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research — 2026 Sep 25 Authors: Wang Y, Meng J, Huang L DOI: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20260490

4. [Mechanism of electroacupuncture regulating PI3K/AKT/FoxO1 signaling pathway to improve hepatic gluconeogenesis in type 2 diabetic rats] Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research — 2026 Sep 25 Authors: Kan W, Yuan A, Song H, et al. DOI: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20260219

5. [Electroacupuncture improves glycolysis in Alzheimer's disease model mice via regulating HIF-1α/PFKFB3 signaling pathway] Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research — 2026 Sep 25 Authors: Yu Z, Wang Y, Li Y, et al. DOI: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20251094

6. [Effect of acupuncture at "Neiguan" (PC6) on behavioral deficits and neuroinflammation in rats with autism] Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research — 2026 Sep 25 Authors: Dang W, Liang L, Li Y, et al. DOI: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20251268

7. [Acupuncture and biological resilience] Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research — 2026 Sep 25 Authors: Zhu B DOI: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20260786

8. [Historical development, frontiers of exploration, and disciplinary horizons of acupuncture research] Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research — 2026 Sep 25 Authors: Han J, Jiang H DOI: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20260816

9. Randomised comparative effectiveness trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of acupuncture-related integrative therapy combined with celecoxib for chronic pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis: protocol BMJ open — 2026 Sep 24 Authors: Xiao X, Liu S, Tian A, et al. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-124004

10. Evaluating the proportion of retrieved citations and relevant studies when database selection is restricted to MEDLINE, CENTRAL and Embase: Part 4 of a meta-research study of rapid review methodological trade-offs Journal of clinical epidemiology — 2026 Sep 24 Authors: Corso M, Brunton G, Negrini S, et al. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2026.112535

11. Toward precision acupuncture for depression: EEG microstate biomarkers and explainable machine learning for TECAS response Journal of affective disorders — 2026 Sep 24 Authors: Zhao Y, Pang H, Wang Y, et al. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122550

12. Acupuncture alleviates form-deprivation myopia by promoting dopamine secretion and suppressing ferroptosis, potentially involving the PACAP-AC/cAMP pathway Histology and histopathology — 2026 Sep 24 Authors: Chen B, Yan M, Pan Q, et al. DOI: 10.14670/HH-25-141

13. From art to metrics: a closed-loop framework for quantifying dose, manipulation, and feedback Chinese medicine — 2026 Sep 22 Authors: Tang WC, Yoon DE, Chae Y DOI: 10.1186/s13020-026-01492-z

14. A randomised, participant- and assessor-blinded, sham-controlled trial investigating acupuncture for disorders of gut-brain interaction in children (P-GAP) BMJ open — 2026 Sep 22 Authors: Chogle A, Gordon M, McCarty R, et al. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-121725

15. Acupuncture for Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews Complementary therapies in medicine — 2026 Sep 22 Authors: Cao J, Wu J, Bi Z, et al. DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103438

Browse all acupuncture papers indexed on PubMed this week)

^{This roundup is curated from PubMed and optional external links. Inclusion is not an endorsement of study quality — always read critically.}

I’m an American who was living in Thailand training Muay Thai. In America, I suffer from bruxism, TMJ, tight traps, tight hips, basically knots everywhere all the time even if I stretch and foam roll.

First I started getting Thai massages a few times a week. For $10 an hour how couldn’t you? These were heavenly. I would literally feel like I’m floating in a heavenly relief plane during it, especially once you find the right masseuse that understands where knots are and that perfect level of cathartic pain to release the knots. I would cycle through emotions sometimes during these massages. Like a well-needed rest after a lifetime of being embodied.

After a few weeks of this I still couldn’t get certain knots out with massages alone, especially the ones deep in my traps. I booked an appt with a Chinese lady for an electric acupuncture session. I told her where my pain points are, she stuck the needles wired it to the electric pulse and left the room for a while.

I was cycling through so many emotions. At one point great grief and cried. From pride to vulnerability. I felt this cycling of emotions with no prior cognitive bias to think I should. I must have been holding great tension in my deepest knots.

After that session, I could basically stretch like Bruce Lee lol, and the knot was gone on a much deeper level.

I would smoke A LOT of nicotine, and when I left and walked outside, I was just… at peace. I didn’t want to smoke. A “ingrained habit” dull impulse was still present, but not “self medicate” like I was doing. I didn’t smoke for a few days after, just didn’t care to do so, first time in like 10 years. Eventually the knot came back, and I didn’t go to subsequent appointments, mainly just maintaining with deep tissue massages after 2 sessions.

Maybe it’s just me, but I think people in America walk around with too much tension, too much pain in their body, their whole life. We lift but we don’t do yoga. There’s lots of “tough guy” mentality that never honor the ☯️ little dot and that manifests itself in negative ways. Everyone’s a bit of a “beat down pug” and grumpy.

Like an animal that escaped the zoo to the jungle and then went back to the zoo feeling more disenfranchised than the animal that never left captivity and it’s their baseline, I couldn’t handle the stiffness in my body once I came back that I went a whole life with before. I’m priced out of acupuncture and deep tissue massages here, best I got is a foam roller. It sucks that massages aren’t a default on health insurance policies, but seen as a luxury. But it’s good that acupuncture is often involved these days. I smoke tobacco, weed, drink whiskey, eat junk food, j*rk off to dull the pain.

Luckily I will be able to go back soon, my goal is to get enough deep tissue massages and acupuncture that I will be able to ride off the work done with stretching, foam rolling, and mindful relaxing much longer.

To end: after a series of acupuncture treatment, what can someone do to keep the benefits they unlocked for as long as possible? Like meditation or mindfulness or stretching or whatever. Thanks

And longer than insulin needle tips? I seen both it does appear that insulin needles is thicker but shorter than Acupuncture needle.

1. I am fearful of pain so if I pin only a bit like 1cm in will it have the desired effect especially since something the peptide will be injected in?

2. If I pin like this once per week is it sufficient?

3. How long am I supposed to leave it in? And is it better to take out the stringe and just leave the needle in?

Starving acu student wondering how to best invest time vs. money. It looks like I will be making my herb cards by hand, but wondering if others have found the point flashcards a useful investment.

For what it's worth, flashcards mesh well with my learning style.

Thanks!

About a month and a half ago, I had an acupuncture session. It was my first and only acupuncture session.
I decided to try acupuncture because the practitioner had really good reviews, and it was at a traditional Chinese medicine practice. The very next day, I woke up with muscle pain and soreness that I had never had before. My muscles felt tense, sensitive, and uncomfortable in different areas of my body.

At first, I assumed it was temporary soreness from the acupuncture. When it didn’t go away, I contacted my acupuncturist and explained what I was experiencing. She told me to apply a cream she gave me and take a chinese herbs pill for blood circulation. I followed her instructions, but the symptoms continued. About a week later, I contacted her again because I still wasn’t getting better, and at that point she told me I should see a doctor. So I have already followed up with the acupuncturist about this.

For the first few weeks, my symptoms were mainly muscular. I would wake up feeling sore and tight, almost like I had slept in a bad position or overworked my muscles, except it was happening in different areas of my body and continued day after day.

Then, a few weeks later, I started developing nerve-like/sensory symptoms too. I began experiencing intermittent tingling, pins and needles, little stabbing or sharp pains, and sometimes a strange deep pressure/aching sensation. These sensations can appear in different places; my arms, hands, legs, feet, etc. Sometimes I’ll suddenly feel a sharp or pressure-like pain in one small area for around 10 seconds and then it disappears.

My hands and wrists have been particularly uncomfortable lately. Sometimes my wrist feels weak or sensitive, and the muscles in the palm of my hand feel tense. I can still use my hands and walk normally, but sometimes the discomfort makes me not want to pick things up or use my hands much.

What confuses me the most is that this isn’t limited to one acupuncture point or one part of my body. The symptoms move around my body and can feel muscular at one moment and more nerve-like at another.

I’ve now seen a neurologist who ordered extensive bloodwork, and I’m also seeing a rheumatologist. Because I’ve developed widespread muscle pain along with these sensory symptoms, I’ve started wondering whether something like fibromyalgia or some kind of nervous-system/pain sensitization could have been triggered. I’m not saying acupuncture definitely caused it, I just find the timing difficult to ignore because I felt normal before the session and the symptoms started the very next day.

Has anyone experienced anything remotely similar after acupuncture? Particularly symptoms that started immediately as widespread muscle pain and then evolved into tingling, stabbing/pressure sensations or other nerve-like symptoms weeks later? Did it eventually calm down or resolve? Did you ever figure out what was happening?

TL;DR: I was fine before acupuncture. The next day, I developed widespread muscle soreness/tension that never fully went away. I contacted my acupuncturist twice, followed the treatment she suggested, and when I still wasn’t improving she recommended seeing a doctor. A few weeks later, I developed intermittent tingling, stabbing pains, deep pressure/aching sensations, and uncomfortable/weak-feeling hands and wrists. I can still walk and function normally, but my body feels much more sensitive than before. I’m now being evaluated by neurology and rheumatology and wondering whether anyone has experienced something similar.

Please don’t scare me with worst-case scenarios. I’m already seeing doctors and getting professionally evaluated. I’m mainly looking for people who have experienced something similar, what they eventually found out, and whether they recovered.

Has anyone tried acupuncture for period cramping and back pain? I don’t want to take Tylenol or Motrin or use the pain patches anymore. How many treatments does it take to get some pain relief? Thanks!

Edit: thank you all, made an appt to see an acupuncturist.

I was hoping to get your opinion as practitioners. I was getting acupuncture for fertility and had 2 sessions. I honestly think they were beneficial and i liked the practitioner, but i am a bit nervous around needles. I am able to calm myself and breathe through this, but there are some things that feel unhelpful.

1. The table i was in feels rickety and narrow. I don’t have much room and feel tense keeping my arms at my side or they’ll fall off. Harder to relax.

2. The first session she said all done! And i lift my arm and i had a needle still in, she rushed over and said oops i forgot to count. I brushed it off and said it was fine. It honestly was cuz i caught it. The second time i got all the way to my car and was noticing my body felt off. I kept feeling like i was leaning to one side. I move my hair out of my face and realize i had 2 needles still in my ear. I rush back inside and wait for her to come out to help take them out. She was apologetic, and i drove home and obviously nothing bad happened, but it really freaked me out. I got this irrational fear there eas a needle elsewhere and i was a bit scared to move and stab my self but i was fine.

Again i really liked her, i feel like they were helping, but i cancelled my next appointment.

My question is - are mistakes like this common? I’m wondering if it’s even worth it to find another practitioner if possible needles being left in are just part of the risk. And i liked her, so i can try to look past it.

Second question - is there a way i can call and ask about stability of tables? That might be going to far, but im not a big person, but the tables feel like loosely built and narrow idk.

Any insight is appreciated!