Acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine that has many therapeutic applications in society today. Acupuncture is used to encourage natural healing, reduce pain and improve function. The needles will often be left in for 15-30 minutes.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of very small, sterile needles into the skin at specific points in the body. The needles are stainless steel, very flexible and have a very small diameter. They do not have a cutting edge like the needles that are used for injections or blood tests. When inserted properly, it is unlikely that they will cause bleeding or damage to the underlying tissues.
With electro-acupuncture, the needles are electrically stimulated at a low frequency by attachment to a battery-powered machine using wires with small clips on the end. Low frequency stimulation will result in a slow onset pain relief that will have a long lasting effect. Acupuncture treatment has a cumulative effect. The more treatments you have, the greater the effect.