What is inside or on the surface of the needle?
Nothing. The needle, made of solid stainless steel is just slightly thicker than a hair. It contains no intoxicants, nor it is electrically charged or connected to electricity.


Does acupuncture treatment hurt?
No. In some cases, the patient does not feel the needle puncture at all. Sometimes, he or she has a faint impression of experiencing heat or numbness, sometimes feels the sharp prick. This sensations, however, are short-lived. In fact, the procedure is less painful than an accidental pinprick.


Is it possible to compare the acupuncture with an injection?
Far more unpleasant is the injection. There really is no comparison present. In many cases, the patient is completely unaware that his or her body had the needles pricked in.

How long are the needles? Do they vary in type and length?
The needle length ranges from 0.5 to 4 inches (1 inch - 23.4 mm – translator’s note.) There are different types of needles and they are used according to the effect, which  an acupuncturist wants to achieve. Some are so constructed that it can be used in conjunction with moksa.

How deep a needle is punctured?
It depends on the point to which the needle is inserted. It mostly lies just under the skin, but some needles are punctured at a depth of 0.25 to 3 inches. Please do not believe that the deeper the puncture, the greater the pain. It may be more painful for the patient to have the needle inserted just under the skin than placed at a depth of 3 inches.


Can a puncture cause major bleeding?
Not at all. Genuine, well recognized points do not bleed. Sometimes the acupuncturist can intentionally cause the bleeding of a certain point. The result will be one, two, maximum three drops of blood.


Does it happen that the needle breaks or cracks during treatment?
Chinese hand-made needles, which we use, are flexible and cannot be broken during the treatment. Sometimes when the patient performs rapid movements, the needles slightly bend. Fracture of the  acupuncture needles is virtually impossible.


Does the acupuncturist manipulate the needle that is already punctured in the body?
It depends on the effect, that he or she is trying to achieve. In some cases, the acupuncturist does not touch the already punctured needles. In others - manipulates them into one of the many different ways. One hears, for example, of twisting the needles used for anaesthesia.


Are the needles sterilized before use?
Yes. This is the basic operation. Most needles, however, are disposable and double-sterilized. We recommend using only disposable needles, which are disposed or kept as a keepsake after treatment.

In which parts of the body the needles are punctured?
Parts of the body, in which the needles are punctured, generally have no apparent relation to location of disease or its symptoms. These are mostly calves, feet, forearms and hands, but it may also be any other body part.


How many needles are used during the treatment?
It depends on the patient, usually from three to fifteen.


One hears about the gold and silver needles for acupuncture. What's the difference?
Indeed. This stems probably from a mistranslation of sources from the Chinese language. Needles have always been made of the best metal and imbedded with gold, silver or platinum, depending on whether the patients came from the class of mandarins, or whether they were simple people. When it comes to the effect of the treatment, it has no influence on it.


Are the needles manufactured only in China? In which way they are formed - modern or traditional?
The acupuncture needles are manufactured in many countries around the world. Personally, I use the hand-made Chinese needles of, in our opinion, the best company in the world, Cloud & Dragon.

In the West the excessive importance is attributed to the needles. Meanwhile, the treatment is important, and the point at which the needle is inserted. The curative results are not dependent on the material which the needle was made of. Even before the invention of metal needles, the acupuncture had been used in China - and with good results - using needles made from bone. It is really only important that the needles should not be fragile. Modern production methods almost completely eliminate the fragility of needles.


Can acupuncture really help me?
Like any medical system, the acupuncture has its pros and cons. It would be best to consult a specialist in this field, who will recommend an appropriate treatment.


Can I finance the acupuncture from the NHF?
Yes, there are such possibilities. Some health centres have signed a contract with the National Health Fund for the provision of services to assist healing processes. NHF can finance 10 consecutive treatments. The medical office of professor Enji has no such an agreement, however, the prices of treatments are still very competitive.


I heard that the men after acupuncture treatments may longer have sex?
Yes, it is true. In most cases, scientists from the USSR have observed increased levels of male hormones in the groups using acupuncture as a treatment for sexual disorders.


Can the acupuncture treatments be used during menstruation?
Yes, generally there are no contraindications. An experienced acupuncturist knows when the treatment can be performed, and when not. A really big menstrual bleeding is a contraindication for the treatment. However, a doctor should decide about this.


What if my doctor dissuades me from acupuncture treatments?
Everyone has an opinion and it should be respected. The doctor is a special person of public trust, which should have a broader awareness in this field. Apparently the doctor did not acquired yet the knowledge or it is not enough to form his or her own opinions about this method of treatment.


Where can I find the best acupuncturist doctor?
First of all, the acupuncture should be performed by a doctor. Ideally, if it is a doctor of Chinese or Mongolian origin, because in these countries, acupuncture is the most developed and has been practiced until today. We recommend Mrs. Professor Enkhjargal Dovchin the Office of Tibetan-Mongolian Medicine, at Czerniakowska Street 28A in Warsaw.


Why use acupuncture treatments? Is not it better to just take, for example, pain killers?
Each drug has its side effect. Chronic use of analgesic drugs is detrimental to our stomach, liver and many other organs. Acupuncture as a natural method does not cause any side effects.
In addition, acupuncture is often successful in situations where conventional drugs fail.


Why is it so expensive? Do you really need to take as many as 10 treatments?
Too small number of treatments will make that acupuncture not effective. The quantity of necessary treatments is decided by an acupuncturist - sometimes you need fewer of them, sometimes, especially in chronic diseases, much more. The price is not high at all. In the West, where the work of a specialist is valued highly, the treatment costs about $ 100. In Poland, the price of the treatment does not exceed the hourly rate of a plumber.


I have heard about a weight loss acupuncture, is it really effective?
Acupuncture may help in the process of losing weight, and provided its performance is proper – it supports the weight loss processes.


Can the acupuncture be helpful to quit smoking?
YES - this is one of the main applications in recent years of this method of treatment. With special small needles left in the patient’s ears for up to several days, the effect of nicotine disgust is achieved and an initial phase of cleansing the body of toxins. The patient does not feel the need for a cigarette, and thus the demand for nicotine in the body decreases.


Can one catch HIV or other diseases during the acupuncture?
Currently, acupuncture is performed with sterile disposable needles. This means that there is no possibility of infection with any disease during the treatment. The patient should not consent to the treatment with a non-sterile needle!

Sterile needles, are those where each needle is individually packaged separately. Usually, the packaging reads "sterilized needles."

Is acupuncture safe? Is there a risk of vessel or internal organs puncture?
A properly performed acupuncture poses almost no risk. This applies, of course, to the situations where treatment is performed by a properly trained acupuncturist. The operations of "self-taught persons" are obviously related to the much greater risk.


Can the patient be faint or lose consciousness during the acupuncture treatment?
Sometimes it actually happens that acupuncture treatment involves the patient’s high stress and thus he or she may lose consciousness momentarily. In a large majority of cases, acupuncture does not cause any stress. Fainting during acupuncture usually occurs before the treatment itself. The most vulnerable to this type of stress are men.


Can I be infected by any disease by puncturing?
Needles may be reusable or disposable. As for the disposable - this leaves no doubt. Reusable needles are sterilized after each treatment. Each patient has his or her own needles. So the patient cannot infect from himself. The infections occur frequently in China, where the same needles are punctured to different patients. In Poland, most of the acupuncture needles are disposable and sterilized.


Can acupuncture cure little children?
Young, and even very young children are indeed treated with acupuncture, using special needles. The needles are designed so that children do not feel the puncture, and can freely move with punctured needles. The recommended acupuncture needles for children are of 0.5 inches.


What in general can be complications after acupuncture?
With properly performed acupuncture, the significant complications, in practice, do not occur, and the most common complications include:
- Ecchymosis (bruises), it is usually a benign complication, the strokes are absorbed after a few or several days
- dizziness, disappears shortly after treatment
- a slight pain or discomfort in the place which the needle was punctured, usually disappears after a few - several minutes, rarely after a few days
- fainting, is very rare, usually associated with improper patient preparation for the treatment (for example: the patient on an empty stomach), pain, not enough skills to perform acupuncture or stress.

Very rarely:
- Pneumothorax or puncture of the peritoneal cavity, associated with lack of qualifications of the person performing the acupuncture (...?... people who are not doctors of academic medicine or doctors of Chinese and Mongolian medicine - after studying at at the universities of Chinese medicine in China, or at the traditional university of natural therapeutic approaches in Mongolia, not to be confused with traditional Chinese medicine courses or schools of Chinese medicine outside China - which in our opinion, leaves much to be desired.


Can I get a rash after acupuncture?
Research on acupuncture have shown no link between allergies and rashes, and acupuncture treatment.


Does the time of leaving the needles in the body of the patient matter?
Everything depends on the effect that an acupuncturist wants to achieve. Some needles are left in the body for longer, others for a shorter period of time.


What is the approximate age of the child for which an acupuncture treatment can be applied?
Generally there is no impediment to the acupuncture treatment, even in the case of the youngest children. However, most textbooks on acupuncture and acupuncturists recognise the age of 7 for an appropriate time to begin treatment with needles.


I have heard that some patients faint after acupuncture?
These are extremely rare cases of syncope and are directly related to stress after treatment. Often the people using acupuncture for weight loss can have similar behaviour. They are not dangerous situations, and mainly related to the dramatically rapid weight loss.


Can someone forget to remove the needle after acupuncture?
A very rare situation. Sometimes it happens that the acupuncturist forgets to remove all the needles, and one is left in the body. Usually, the patient, while dressing, notices that the needle is still stuck in the body. In this case, it should normally be removed. Acupuncture needles are flexible and finished with a spiral so that there is no danger of puncture through a tissue.


During the acupuncture treatment on the ears I feel the pain associated with placement of needles in the ear. Is this normal?
Yes, every person is different and has different sensitivity to external stimuli. Generally, ear acupuncture is not painful, and the treatment is cosmetic rather than medical. Occasionally, however, it is the case that the patient is so sensitive that any slight prick may be felt as pain. In this case, it is recommended to reassure the patient as it is possible.


Can acupuncture be performed on the animals as well?
Of course - in the same way as on humans. Particularly good results are achieved in the treatment of epilepsy of unknown origin. Animals in which treatment is typically carried out are: a dog, cat, pig, horse, and a cow.


Can I use acupuncture during pregnancy?
In China, women during pregnancy normally attend for acupuncture. The exception are the states of at-risk pregnancy, where the doctor has to decide on further treatment. In Poland, it is recommended to use acupuncture until the third month of pregnancy, but it is also a matter that should be decided by the doctor.


Can I use acupuncture to reduce or control blood pressure, and is this method effective?
Yes, there are points on the human body that are responsible for controlling the flow of energy on the blood pressure. Regulating blood pressure with acupuncture is a safe and effective method. You can perform acupuncture in conjunction with medication for hypertension. However, we recommend taking medication at least 2 hours before the acupuncture.


What is the age limit to perform acupuncture treatment?
There is no such a limit. The textbooks of acupuncture students say about the age of 70 - but it is not mandatory. In any case, both the tiny baby and an elderly person it is the acupuncturist who should decide about the diagnosis for the treatment.


Is the race important in the acupuncture treatment? Is it true that people with dark complexion must have stronger needles applied than white people?
The case in question. Indeed, people with dark complexion have firmer skin more often than those with white complexion. A typical needle for acupuncture treatments has dimensions of 0.25 to 40 mm - which means that it is very thin and of medium length. The self-bending of the needle may occur at the time of placing it into the body, and thus arise the need to use a thicker needle, for example of 0. 35 to 40 mm. But these are very rare cases.


What is cosmetic acupuncture and what are its costs?
Cosmetic acupuncture is a special kind of acupuncture used in particular as a cosmetic treatment to improve the appearance of facial skin. By many, it is considered to be more effective, more durable and cheaper than Botox treatments. Cosmetic acupuncture prices start from 100 PLN for the treatment. More on this subject can be found on our website.


Is the time of leaving the needles in the body during the acupuncture treatment important?
Yes - everything depends on the effect that an acupuncturist want to achieve. Every doctor has his or her individual technique of punctures developed by the years. Time of a single treatment in the series may also vary and depend on many factors: age, illnesses, allergies, gender, type of acupuncture treatment.


Small bruises have shown up at points of needles  puncture after acupuncture treatment. Is this normal?
Yes - it is practically the only side effect of acupuncture that usually occurs to the elderly patients on their hands after treatment. This effect, however concerns in most cases the first three treatments of acupuncture in the series.


Are there acupuncture needles which are completely painless?
The acupuncture treatment by a specialist is virtually painless. The feeling of placing needles into the tissue is directly affected by such factors as the width of the needle and the material from which the needle was produced. It is assumed that steel needles with dimensions of 0.25 to 40 mm are the least felt. In the sales are also so-called silicone needles, which are covered with a thin layer of silicone. According to the producers they are to be completely painless. In our opinion there is no difference between these two types of needles in addition to this that the silicone needles are not suitable for electro-acupuncture.


Can acupuncture be used on animals?
Yes, the man just as the animal has the energy points. The use of acupuncture on animals is possible especially in cases of epilepsy and neural states of the unknown origin but in other diseases as well.


Can the acupuncture be used during pregnancy?
The use of acupuncture in pregnant women or nursing mothers must necessarily be decided by the pregnancy doctor. In China, the acupuncture is used in women up to 3 months of pregnancy. There are also known the cases of acupuncture used throughout the period of pregnancy. The women at risk of pregnancy should not use acupuncture without consulting a doctor.


Does acupuncture in children can be used in the states of stress and neuroses?
Yes, especially in such cases in children. However, it is recommended to perform treatments in children over 7 years of age. Neurotic states in younger children are treated at primary care doctors specialists and the paediatrician of the child needs to be notified of the intention to apply to him or her the acupuncture.


How many treatments are needed for curing neuroses and what intervals between treatments should be used?
For curing neuroses, just 10 treatments of acupuncture is enough. After a series of treatments the body should be given time to regain its balance. The textbooks assume a month, but in practice it should be even half a year and not less than 3 months.

This is because the acupuncture treatment works even for 3 months after the series of treatments, and in this time the healing processes are taking place in the body. In the treatment of more serious illnesses, more treatments are used, but such treatment should be strictly decided by the doctor.