Like many of my patients at ERCA, your first exposure to acupuncture might have been at the movies or on television. If so, you were probably petrified of what you saw… from The Matrix to Kung Fu Panda.
Here’s the reality….
Acupuncture needles are about the width of a human hair. In the United States, we use single-use, disposable needles which are rarely inserted more than a 1/4″ into the skin. A typical treatment may involve between 10 and 20 needles total. You will not look like a porcupine.
Celebrities on yachts receiving acupuncture?! While it’s true that acupuncture is included in luxury treatments at spas and favored by the rich and famous (and connoisseurs), a World Health Organization 2019 Global Report revealed that acupuncture is widely used in 183 countries and regions worldwide for 461 symptoms and 972 diseases, and some countries have incorporated it into their health insurance and medical regulations.
More than 10 million acupuncture treatments are performed annually in the United States. Acupuncture is and has always been the medicine of humble farmers, workers, and people who, historically, have not had access to modern pharmaceuticals.
So, if anyone makes you feel like acupuncture is a luxury, you can point out how efficient and cost-effective it is!
