Do acupuncture needles hurt?
Most people barely feel a thing when acupuncture needles are inserted. Some people feel a slight pinch, and others ask “Is it in yet?” Hypodermic needles are necessarily larger in diameter, hollow, and rigid so that substances may be withdrawn from or injected into the body. Acupuncture needles are sterile, solid, hair thin, and flexible.
There are certain sensations associated with the therapeutic effects of acupuncture, which are known as de qi (pronounced “duh-chee”). These may include slight cramping, heaviness, distention, warmth or coolness traveling along a meridian.