Many people get goosebumps at the mere thought of needles being inserted into their bodies. No matter what kind of needle—whether it’s an injection needle, a sewing needle, or a bee’s stinger—as long as it pierces the skin, which is one of the most sensitive parts of the human body, it’s bound to hurt.
No one would believe that the needles at an acupuncture clinic don’t hurt—because the fear of needles is deeply ingrained in people’s minds.
With such patients, acupuncture is performed almost like a magic trick. The practitioner first holds an empty syringe and tells the patient that it’s just to mark the acupoints before insertion. Then, almost imperceptibly, the needle is slipped into the syringe and gently inserted as if nothing were amiss. The patient feels no pain at all. Once the needles are in place, the practitioner reveals the truth—and the patient can hardly believe it: acupuncture isn’t nearly as painful as they had imagined.
The needles used in acupuncture are distinct from suture needles or injection needles: their tiny, specialized tips are designed to penetrate the skin gently and swiftly reach the acupoints, so patients typically experience little to no pain—instead, they often feel a refreshing sense of vitality throughout the body. In the past, many people who had been blindly afraid of needle insertion would later regret their hesitation once they learned the truth: if they had known acupuncture wasn’t as painful as they’d imagined, they would have started treatment much earlier.