Chinese Acupuncture: Benefits, Uses, Safety and Expert Answers by Dr. Carlos A. Torres

What is Chinese acupuncture?

Chinese Acupuncture is a therapy that is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It consists of the application of very fine needles into specific acupuncture points located along the body’s energy channels, also known as “Acupuncture Meridians.” The main objective of this technique is to regulate the energetic imbalances that underlie many health disorders.

What are the benefits of Chinese acupuncture?

To understand its benefits, it is important to recognize that every illness—symptomatic or asymptomatic—is preceded by an energetic imbalance that ultimately becomes its root cause. An energetic disorder, whether by excess or deficiency, creates blockages in the body. Acupuncture works to remove these blockages and restore long-lasting energetic balance.

Therefore, its greatest benefit is restoring health not only temporarily but in a more durable way, improving quality of life in people who use it as their primary therapy.

Are there risks with Chinese acupuncture?

Although minimal, risks do exist—such as infection at the insertion point or pleural injury in the chest area. These adverse events typically occur due to poor practice or when the technique is performed by non-experts with inadequate biosafety standards. For this reason, acupuncture should be performed only by physicians trained and specialized in alternative medicine who can ensure proper and safe application.

Does Chinese acupuncture have contraindications?

Generally, acupuncture has very few contraindications. It should be avoided in the following cases:

1. Patients diagnosed with hemophilia or uncontrolled coagulation disorders.
2. Pregnant patients.
3. Patients under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
4. Patients with severe psychotic disorders.

A proper acupuncture technique should not cause bleeding upon needle removal. However, people with uncontrolled blood coagulation disorders should postpone treatment until it is safe to proceed.

What is Chinese acupuncture used for, and in which conditions is it applied?

In Western countries, acupuncture is mainly recognized for treating acute and chronic pain. However, scientific studies have shown that it also supports health recovery in chronic patients and can be useful in many medical conditions.

Some of the areas where acupuncture is commonly used include:

Nervous System: Depression, anxiety, epilepsy, parkinsonism, peripheral neuropathies.
Hormonal, gynecological, and urinary disorders: Abnormal uterine bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, interstitial cystitis, prostate enlargement.
Internal Medicine: Chronic liver disease, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, SLE.
Gastroenterology: Peptic disease, gastroesophageal reflux, irritable bowel syndrome.
Oncology: As a complementary therapy to conventional cancer treatments.

This list is not exhaustive; the therapeutic usefulness of acupuncture is much broader.

Does Chinese acupuncture hurt?

Acupuncture uses extremely thin needles, so insertion is typically painless. However, for optimal therapeutic effect, the practitioner seeks a phenomenon called “deqi” or “arrival of the qi.” This occurs when the needle is gently rotated, producing a mild sensation sometimes described as an “electric current.” This sensation may stay localized or travel along a limb. It is not essential for treatment effectiveness but indicates accurate needle placement.

How many acupuncture sessions are needed to relieve pain?

There is no universal number of sessions since results depend on each patient’s level of inflammation. Acute pain usually responds more quickly, while chronic pain may require more sessions.

A standard treatment consists of 3 phases, each with 10 sessions. Some patients improve in the first phase, while others—particularly chronic cases—achieve optimal results after around 20 sessions.

Does Chinese acupuncture help with weight loss?

Acupuncture includes a cosmetic branch that offers anti-obesity treatment. For effective weight reduction, treatment must be tailored to each patient’s individual condition.

Is Chinese acupuncture safe?

Acupuncture is one of the safest and most effective therapies available. However, it should be performed by a physician with formal training and certification in Alternative Therapies or by a professional accredited by a university-level institution. This ensures that patients receive Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments safely and confidently.

Expert Response

Dr. Carlos A. Torres V.
Specialist in Alternative Therapeutics and Herbal Pharmacology
Universidad Juan N. Corpas, Bogotá.