Acupunture needle to be left in the body is part of a treatment?

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

There is no treatment like that that I know of and certainly a stainless steel needle isn’t going to dissolve. There are some auricular (ear) points where you can use ear seeds, but those don’t dissolve either.

So a needle left in the body (if it is an actual needle) will likely cause an infection, damage or worse. There are intradermal needles that some practitioners put in and will leave in for a few days or until the next treatment even, but they do not dissolve.

If your practitioner left actual needles in and is expecting them to dissolve inside the body you need to turn them in to the medical board if there is such a thing where you are.

Comment by Archived User

If in fact stainless steel, gold, silver, bone, bamboo or other type of material of needle was left inside the body you should have your mother seek immediate medical treatment to get them removed. If they were intradermal needles, which are usually a 2-4mm length small tack attached to tape, you can leave them in safely for a few days and remove them on your own by just peeling them off.