The British Acupuncture Council have outlined this document on the safety and risks of Averse Reactions in having Acupuncture Treatment:
There have been a number of scientific papers published on the safety of acupuncture(1-4). These have concluded that acupuncture is safe so long as it is delivered by a properly trained individual. Therefore, we recommend that you ensure your acupuncturist belongs to a professional organisation such as the British Acupuncture Council.
As acupuncture involves the insertion of needles there will sometimes be a small bruise or bleeding. Approximately 6% of people who have ten acupuncture sessions will report a bruise or minor bleeding.
Occasionally, people can feel dizzy or nauseous during or after treatment and, on very rare occasions, may lose consciousness. Approximately 0.2% of people who have a course of 10 sessions of acupuncture will feel dizzy. Approximately 0.14% of people who have a course of 10 sessions of acupuncture will feel nauseous. In extremely rare cases (0.03%), people lose consciousness. Sometimes people feel tired after a treatment or experience headache, local muscle pain or strong pain during needling. These side effects are classed as ‘uncommon’, affecting up to 10 of every 1,000 people treated.
The above effects are to some extent an unavoidable part of acupuncture. However, the risks can still be minimised. Please let your acupuncturist know if you feel hot, or the room is stuffy, or you are hungry/thirsty, or you are especially nervous. This should help reduce the chances of dizziness and nausea. Please also let them know any medications that you are taking, such as anti-coagulants.
As the acupuncture involves piercing the skin there is a risk of infection at the needle site. The estimated risk is 1 to 10 of every 10,000 people treated. BAcC acupuncturists are trained, and bound by our Professional Codes, to provide acupuncture hygienically.
Serious adverse events such as pneumothorax (piercing the lung/perforation of the lung lining) and nerve injury can occur. However, these are very rare, and the risk is reduced by seeing a well-trained acupuncturist. In 2.2 million treatments pneumothorax occurred twice and nerve injury 31 times. One of the people who had a pneumothorax needed hospital treatment, the other required observation only. The longest duration of any side-effect was 180 days (nerve injury). No permanent injuries or deaths were associated with the acupuncture treatments2.
Both cupping and guasha can lead to dark/purple patches on the skin. This is often an expected part of treatment. You may have seen dark rings from cupping on elite athletes such as swimmers. These marks disappear after a few days.
Cupping and moxibustion both carry a risk of accidental burns. Burns from moxibustion are estimated to occur once in 1000 to 5000 treatments1.
Aftercare
Try to keep the needle, cupping, moxa and guasha sites clean immediately after treatment. It is generally best to avoid strenuous activity after treatment. You may feel that you want to rest after treatment. Sometimes people feel a dull ache at the needle sites after treatment. This is normal and nothing to worry about.
If you experience any effects after treatment that you are concerned about, please contact your practitioner and/or seek medical attention. For example, if a needle site becomes red or inflamed. If you received acupuncture on the upper back or shoulder and then experience any severe, gradual or sudden onset of pain over the chest, potentially combined with difficulty in breathing please seek immediate medical attention. These are the signs of pneumothorax. Although a pneumothorax from acupuncture is extremely rare, it is a serious condition. Prompt medical treatment can ensure a full recovery and prevent any long-term consequences.
1. Bäumler P, Zhang W, Stübinger T, et al. Acupuncture-related adverse events: systematic review and meta-analyses of prospective clinical studies. BMJ Open 2021;11(9):e045961. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045961
2. Witt CM, Pach D, Brinkhaus B, et al. Safety of acupuncture: results of a prospective observational study with 229,230 patients and introduction of a medical information and consent form. Forschende Komplementärmedizin 2009;16(2):91-97. doi: 10.1159/000209315
3. White A. A cumulative review of the range and incidence of significant adverse events associated with acupuncture. Acupuncture In Medicine: Journal Of The British Medical Acupuncture Society 2004;22(3):122-33.
4. MacPherson H, Thomas K, Walters S, et al. The York acupuncture safety study: prospective survey of 34 000 treatments by traditional acupuncturists. BMJ Clinical research 2001;323(7311):486-87.