Acupuncture: Cautions
Description
This article is from the Alternative Medicine Therapies guide.
Acupuncture: Cautions
- Hepatitis B and other contagious diseases can be transmitted from needles that aren't sterilized properly. A reputable practitioner will only use disposable needles.
- Stimulating certain acupuncture points, particularly those on or near the abdomen, can trigger uterine contractions and could induce premature labor and possibly miscarriage. Be sure to tell the acupuncturist if you are pregnant or think you may be. Before using acupuncture to treat morning sickness, consult your physician.
- People on anticoagulant drugs may bleed easily even when thin acupuncture needles are inserted. Consult your physician before having acupuncture if you are on such medication.
- Electrical stimulation of acupuncture needles could cause problems for people with pacemakers, as could magnets, which are sometimes used to stimulate acupoints.
- Anyone with a compromised immune system needs to be especially careful that the acupuncturist is using disposable needles.
- If you have diabetes, the practitioner should insert needles into your limbs only with extreme caution. Even a small skin cut in a person with diabetic neuropathy can turn into a severe infection.
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