Frequently Asked Questions About Acupuncture

Acupuncture needles are nothing like the hypodermic needles used to give injections. They are much thinner, about the width of a human hair (or even smaller). When the needles are inserted by a skilled acupuncturist, there is usually no pain at all; occasionally the sensation may be like a brief mosquito bite. Most of the time patients find the treatments extremely relaxing, and often fall asleep.

I've taken the rest of this paragraph down because in Washington state, the department of health appears to be challenging the right of acupuncturists to use Chinese medical theory in their practice. Thus, it is not clear to me what is safe or legal for me to say on this website.

Acupuncture is extremely safe when performed by an appropriately trained practitioner. All inserted needles are factory sterilized, and most acupuncturists immediately dispose of them after use. A traditionally trained, licensed acupuncturist (look for the letters LAc after their name) is required to undergo rigorous testing and have about 1000 hours of clinical training prior to receiving a license, and is thus well versed in safe needling techniques.

I don't claim to diagnose or treat any disease or illness. I've taken the rest of this paragraph down because in Washington state, the department of health appears to be challenging the right of acupuncturists to use Chinese medical theory in their practice. Thus, it is not clear to me what is safe or legal for me to say on this website.

You should continue to take all appropriate advice and treatments from your M.D. I've taken the rest of this paragraph down because in Washington state, the department of health appears to be challenging the right of acupuncturists to use Chinese medical theory in their practice. Thus, it is not clear to me what is safe or legal for me to say on this website.

See the National Institutes of Health study in my links section). I don't claim to treat or prevent any disease. I've taken the rest of this paragraph down because in Washington state, the department of health appears to be challenging the right of acupuncturists to use Chinese medical theory in their practice. Thus, it is not clear to me what is safe or legal for me to say on this website.

Yes, there are different kinds, or styles, of acupuncture. The biggest difference is between “traditional acupuncture”, which is based on the classic texts and traditional theory and practice of Chinese medicine, and what some call “scientific acupuncture”, which largely ignores these traditional practices in favor of techniques and principles based solely on allopathic medical knowledge (allopathic medicine is the “conventional” medicine used by M.D.s).

This “scientific” acupuncture is practiced by many in Japan and by some “medical acupuncturists” (M. D.s who do acupuncture) in the United States, while practitioners of traditional acupuncture can be found throughout the world. Although not as true in Japan, in many states in the United States M. D.s can become acupuncturists after as little as 200 hours of training in acupuncture, while the standards for traditionally trained acupuncturists often require them to have 10 times or more the amount of training.

There are also different styles of traditional acupuncture. The biggest split here is between Zang-Fu based acupuncture (what some call “TCM acupuncture”, a confusing and ambiguous phrase since it simply stands for “Traditional Chinese Medicine”) from China and certain styles of palpation-based acupuncture from Japan. “Zang-Fu” theory is a theory of organ energetics based on fundamental principles from traditional Chinese medicine, employing such concepts as Qi, yin, yang, etc.

Originally intended to be used for herbs, Zang-Fu theory was extended by the Chinese to cover acupuncture during the last half century or so. Zang-Fu based acupuncture emphasizes questioning the patient for diagnosis, and usually involves needle insertion with vigorous stimulation into about 10 points for treatment. Zang-Fu based acupuncture is the standard course of study taught in all the acupuncture schools in the U. S. It is currently the most widely practiced style of acupuncture in the United States.

There are also several styles of palpation-based acupuncture, mostly from Japan, being practiced in the United States today. Two of the categories I'm familiar with are Manaka-style acupuncture and Meridian Therapy, both of which are Japanese palpation-based styles. These kinds of styles usually emphasize palpation (of the pulse, abdomen, and often meridians or specific acupuncture points) as a diagnostic method, and treatment usually involves light, gentle stimulation with shallowly-inserted needles. In order to learn a style of palpation-based acupuncture the student has to take extra courses or study a year or more longer than usual.


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Of course, every acupuncturist has their own personality and style to some extent, but yes, we can make some general statements about how your experience will differ. A typical treatment from a Zang-Fu based acupuncturist will usually begin with an interview (which can easily be about half an hour or more the first time you see the practitioner, and about ten to fifteen minutes or so on subsequent visits). Then the practitioner will look at your tongue and may feel your pulse.

After that, she will ask you to lie down, either on your stomach or back, and insert needles into about 10 acupuncture points. The needles will be vigorously stimulated, usually with an up and down motion, to illicit a "de Qi" sensation, which typically feels like dull pain. The acupuncturist will then often leave the room and retain the needles for about 10-20 minutes, after which she'll come back and remove them. She may give you dietary or other lifestyle advice if you are open to it. That's usually the end of the treatment.

A typical treatment from a palpation-based practitioner, like someone using Meridian Therapy, also begins with an interview, although your acupuncturist may have you lie down on the table while he asks you questions. After (or sometimes while) questioning you, he will often palpate your abdomen, the skin along your throat, inner forearms and legs, and check your pulse.

His treatment will then consist of a very gentle needling of a few points, with him constantly coming back to check your pulse, skin, or abdomen to check the results of the techniques. There is no attempt made to illicit a "de Qi" sensation, and often the patient feels nothing and simply falls asleep. Your practitioner will usually at some point ask you to turn around, and will treat a few points on your back. Normally, your palpation-based acupuncturist will be working on you for the entire time of the treatment, and will usually only leave the room for a very short time to do things like get a cup of water, wash his hands, etc. In general, palpation-based acupuncture involves a shorter interview process but more palpation than Zang-Fu acupuncture, and is usually gentler than Zang-Fu based acupuncture.


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Toyohari is a style of Meridian Therapy (Keiraku Chiryo), which in itself is a style of Japanese palpation-based acupuncture. The word "Toyo" means East Asian, and "Hari" means "needle" or "needle therapy" (i.e., acupuncture). The founder of Toyohari was Fukushima Kodo, who happened to be blind. Indeed, in Japan acupuncture was (and to some extent still is) a preferred profession for visually impaired people; today, about half of those doing Toyohari in Japan are not sighted.

Toyohari is a deceptively gentle yet extremely effective style of acupuncture; as yet only a hundred or so people in the United States are Toyohari practitioners, but demand for and interest in the style is continually growing. I've taken the rest of this paragraph down because in Washington state, the department of health appears to be challenging the right of acupuncturists to use Chinese medical theory in their practice. Thus, it is not clear to me what is safe or legal for me to say on this website.

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I don't claim to treat or prevent any disease. I've taken the rest of this paragraph down because in Washington state, the department of health appears to be challenging the right of acupuncturists to use Chinese medical theory in their practice. Thus, it is not clear to me what is safe or legal for me to say on this website.

For acupuncture in Seattle, click here. For a Toyohari practitioner in some other location, see www.toyohari.org. For an acupuncturist of any style, see www.acupuncture.com, or check the National Alliance's referral list at this link.

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Click here for information on how to email me and to see my privacy policy. You can also check the National Alliance's list of frequently asked questions by clicking here.