Illness, disease, and pain occur from imbalances, excesses, or deficiencies in these meridians or in the internal organs. By inserting needles at specific points the patient is brought back to balance, leading to better health. Acupuncture needles are very thin, much thinner than the hypodermic needles used for inoculations. They are so small that two or three acupuncture needles will fit inside a typical hypodermic needle. Being thinner, they cause very little pain, usually no pain at all.
Most patients only feel pressure or heaviness when a needle is inserted.
These sensations are a sign their body is reacting positively to the treatment. Additionally, needles are sterile, are used only one time, and are disposed of immediately. Chinese medicine is very, very safe, far safer than Western medicine. A study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine showed that in the United States, from 1981 to 1994, less than 200 adverse effects were reported from acupuncture. Contrast these figures with recently published reports that almost 50,000 people die every year in our country from medical mistakes.