Acupuncturists use filiform needles for easy insertion and treatment. Learn more about acupuncture filiform needles from our medical expert in this free video.
Robert Linde, Acupuncture Physician and Registered Herbalist, has studied herbs since 1975 and practiced Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 6 years.
Hi, in this clip, I'm going to introduce the filiform needles and we'll try to do a little bit of a demonstration in one of our practice ears that we use at the clinic for demonstrating to patients. The filiform needle is a solid needle, so it's different from a hypodermic needle that you may get a shot. And it's really, it's considered to be about the same diameter as a hair off a cat's whisker is the way we like to describe it. So these needles are left in place for anywhere from fifteen to forty-five minutes sometimes by the practitioner. They're all single use needles. They come to us prepackaged. And many practitioners use this type of a needle that also has a guide tube that allows us to have a very easy insertion as we do it. So what you'll feel is this guide tube is pressed against the acupuncture point, as I'm doing here. We have a little bit of a, a little stopper there for it and you'll find those all over the floor at a lot of acupuncturists' office. And then you'll feel a little tap in as a practitioner pops that in. You might feel the slightest pinch when that first part is inserted, but usually it's fairly painless. The practitioner then may use various techniques to stimulate that needle and will oftentimes look for what's called a dai chi sensation, which is kind of a heaviness that oftentimes come with it. Once the doctor stops stimulating the needle, you'll actually be able to relax and you'll have little to no sensation with it whatsoever. Those needles are left in place, hopefully, you fall asleep and after they're taken out, you'll actually feel nothing as they're removed from that spot. So, remember, you know, you'll expect to feel a sensation, but not pain.
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