If carried out by a qualified practitioner, acupuncture is a very safe form of treatment, with few side effects.
Serious complications, such as infection, and damaged organs, or tissue, are extremely rare, and usually only occur as a result of bad practice, or a poorly trained acupuncturist. A properly trained acupuncturist will always use clean needles and dispose of them after every use.
Bleeding and bruising
In some cases, acupuncture can cause soreness, bleeding, and bruising, at the points on your skin where the needles enter. If you develop these symptoms, make sure that you tell your acupuncturist so that they know to avoid certain acupuncture points in the future, or to insert the needle in a different way.
Bleeding and bruising is rare following acupuncture. However, there is still a slight risk, so people with bleeding disorders, such as haemophilia (where your blood is unable to clot), or those taking medication which thins the blood (anti-coagulants), may not be able to have acupuncture. If you have a blood disorder, or you are taking medication which thins your blood, make sure that you talk to your GP before you undergo any acupuncture treatment.
Qualified acupuncturists
If you decide to have acupuncture, it is important to visit a properly qualified and registered acupuncturist. At the moment, anyone in the UK can call themselves an acupuncturist because it is not a state regulated profession. It is therefore very important to ask your acupuncturist about their training, qualifications, and experience.
There are several UK acupuncture authorities that employ trained and experienced acupuncturists. By contacting these organisations, you can find qualified acupuncturists practicing in your local area. These acupuncture authorities include:
- The British Acupuncture Council (BacC),
- The British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS),
- The British Academy of Western Medical Acupuncture (BAWMA), and
- The Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP).
You can contact the BacC by calling 020 8735 0400, or by visiting their website. The BMAS also offer an online search facility which allows you to search an online database of qualified practitioners.