How thin is an acupuncture needle?
Even though more than 1 in 10 Americans have tried acupuncture, there are still many misconceptions about the procedure and equipment. The biggest misconception actually comes down to one of the smallest medical instruments used, the acupuncture needle.
In fact the term needle is a bit misleading. Mention the word needle anywhere outside of a sewing circle and immediately one’s mind recalls childhood images of a doctor’s office getting a dreaded shot. With a much smaller size, completely different design and intent, acupuncture needles should cause little to no sensation at all when going in.
The first and probably most noticeable difference is the size, acupuncture needles, even the thickest gauges, are only the width of a few strands of hair put together. Syringes are significantly thicker.
On top of the vast size difference (please refer to any of the three images I found on the web), acupuncture needles are designed to come to a fine point rather than the cutting edge of a syringe. This allows the needle, which is more of a wire with a handle to slide in and out of the skin with little to no resistance. A syringe on the other hand has a cutting edge and is meant to move tissue out of the way to either inject a fluid, or create a space to remove blood.
An added issue with injection needles is the fact that they are also adding fluids, drugs and substances which may irritate surrounding tissues causing pain and inflammation. Acupuncture needles do not add or take away anything, and only minimally disturb any tissue.
Hopefully these images will help many would be patients overcome their trypanophobia, one of the phobias associated with fear of needles.
For answers to some of the commonly asked acupuncture questions check out my FAQ page.