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Electric Shocks while inserting needles

By Archived User | Updated: Dec 31, 2021 | Published: Dec 31, 2021

Hello,

One of my female patient, 32 years old, has given me very different experience. She is being treated for Spondilosis, knee pain and also menstrual irregularities. One or two days in a month she gets feeling of strong electrical shocks while inserting the needles. Firstly we felt that the needle may be brushing to nerves. but it is most unlikely that every needle will do this mischief. after two days this becomes normal and for rest of the period there is absolutely no problem while needling. This may not be related to premenstrual rise in sensitivity because last month it was in the ovulation period but this month it is in different time. these two days she cannot be needled anywhere.

Of course this is a doubt of academic nature. I am curious to know why this may be happening and whether can be avoided? The patient herself is a doctor but she could not explain this. can someone help me?

Archived Comments

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

Are there any points in particular that this happens at - or is it all of them at certain times? Along with that, is the patient very thin?

Comment by Archived User

There are no specific points. it happens everywhere or anywhere. In this period I have tried changing points which are not needed for the treatment.but same thing was found. Secondly the patient is not thin. she has an atheletic builtup.

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

That&#39s hard to say generally stronger sensations to patients have two basis:


1) needling technique (the skin only really has feeling for the first mm or so, so getting the needle past that area as quickly as possible is important for painless insertion)


2) -very- strong qi of the patient and/or the doctor (illustrated in a video such as this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F3ovb2kZ9Q )


For (2) - generally this happens all the time and for (1) this would happen more often than not sometimes on patients who are thinner or more muscular or just incredibly sensitive (even weather changes can draw this out at times).


For needling on those days when she is sensitive I would suggest you try using very thin needles (i.e. 38 gauge), possibly seirin brand needles and see if it still happens.


This is in -no way- a statement on your needling, sometimes we have to adapt to certain highly sensitive patients, however. We keep some of these needles around for children and highly sensitive adults - which by what I see clinically are maybe 1 in 500 or so and sometimes more before a thunderstorm is coming in (or other similar weather events)...

Comment by Archived User

Thank you very much.

Comment by Archived User

I wish to share with all that the patient is recently detected to have acute deficiency of B12. It seems that above mentioned problem was outcome of this. It is being treated right now and the efects will be seen in near future.

Thanks to all who shared their views and knowledge.

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