Acupuncture Needles
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese art that has been continuously perfected for thousands of years. As one could probably guess, due to the nature of the treatment, acupuncture needles are an extremely important part of the process. Originally, the needles were made out of stone or sharpened bone, but metal replaced that about 2200 years ago.
The needles used in acupuncture today are typically small and made of various metals, often stainless steel or something similar that is unlikely to cause allergic reactions. They are small enough to enter and exit a patient’s skin without causing noticeable pain in most cases. The diameter of the needle typically ranges from 0.12 mm to 0.16 mm, although larger and smaller needles are used from time to time.
For safety reasons, modern acupuncture needles are sterilized between each use. This helps reduce the chance of getting an infection, especially if needles are used on multiple patients. Now, most needles are disposable to further reduce infection risk. Sometimes they are disinfected with extreme heat (being allowed to cool before use) or disinfected with an alcohol based solution.
There are many different brands of acupuncture needles on the market available for private use, or bulk purchase for use in a practitioner’s clinic. Popular brands include SEIRIN, Tai-Chi, Nano, DBC, Hwa-To, Hua-Xia, Activa, Carbo, and Seven Star. The needles usually come in packs of 100 and are quite affordable, ranging between $10.00 and $20.00 per package, depending on which brand and what size needle you desire. Acupuncture needles can typically be purchased in alternative healing stores or online.
Anyone familiar with the art of acupuncture knows just how important the needles are to this method of treatment. It’s good to know, then, that there are thousands of years of experience that are behind the design and manufacturing of today’s acupuncture needles.
