Acupuncture is a system of medicine that has existed for thousands of years in Asia. Today it is practiced in China, Korean, Vietnam, Japan and many other countries all over the world. There are many different styles with many different techniques. There is one single thing that makes acupuncture work regardless of the style that is being used. Proper needle manipulation to achieve the “de qi” sensation. You might be asking yourself what the heck is “de qi”. De qi is a sensation that the acupuncturist illicit from proper needle insertion and manipulation. A patient should feel pressure, soreness, distention, heaviness, warmth, or some sort of movement along the course of the channel. Some people describe the feeling of movement as a feeling of water or electricity. These responses tell the body to perform certain functions. They reprogram the body from a state of illness to a state of health. They also tell the practitioner that they have needled the point correctly.
Many patients that I see seem to see these sensations as very foreign. These feeling should not be unpleasant. They lead to a very soothing and relaxing treatment session. I often tell patients that the sensation of de qi is what makes acupuncture work. Without it you might get some results but they will not be great. The acupuncture point is like a switch and the needle with proper stimulation is used to turn it on and off. By turning the point on or of you stimulate proper organ function and stimulate diseased tissue to repair itself.
Some patients are easier to get this sensation on than others. Some patients may not feel de qi during manipulation they might feel it after the needles are in for a little while. Others may not feel it at all. It all depends on the individual patients. With continued treatment all patients should start to feel these sensations.
– Enjoy