Needle Shock

Lisa wrote:  

I was treated recently by a licensed acupuncturist for a sore back. It was my first time and I experienced what he called "needle shock." My blood pressure plummeted and I blacked out / passed out (this took about 3-5 minutes). I came to fine and we tried again in a less sensitive area, but sure enough, the minute the needle went in, I began experiencing the same sensations. I don't consider myself particularly sensitive, and although it was my first time, I wasn't nervous.
 
 My questions are: Is needle shock a legitimate thing or did the acupuncturist "screw up?"

Nope, absolutely not. Not a screw up. I've had this happen a few times too.

Secondly, was this more a conscious (psychological) reaction to having needles in me or a physiological reaction by a truly over-sensitive person?

Well, the way the books make it sound, it is a physiological reaction. But, my take on it is often times not.

In many cases where I saw needle shock, the patient was nervous about the procedure, or worse, they were bullied into getting the acupuncture. Nowadays, if I see anybody talking the patient into it, I put and end to that right then and there.

If the patient isn't comfortable, I don't do the acupuncture. Of course, I'll usually talk to them myself and that turns things around sometimes. I'm kind of needle shy myself. I can relate with that.

Best of luck with your acupuncture. I'm sure that you'll have a better time of it next time.

Note to the reader:

Needle shock is a term used to describe an unforeseen drop in blood pressure with the insertion of needles into the patient. The cause of this, according to Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Foreign Languages Press - Beijing) is nervous tension, delicate constitution, hunger, fatigue, improper position of the patient or too forceful manipulation of the acupuncture needles.

Manifestations of needle shock include dizziness, vertigo, palpitations, shortness of breath, restlessness, nausea, pale complexion, cold sweats, drop of blood pressure and a loss of consciousness (fainting).

Western medicine has a means by which they too describe this experience. They call it a vaso-vagal reaction which is no different from happens when you faint while giving blood, presuming that the problem is related to the stress of giving blood and not directly related to the loss of blood. The vaso-vagal reaction is a response of the tenth cranial nerve (the so-called "vagus" nerve) that causes a sudden drop in blood pressure and all of the other symptoms related to needle-shock in this article. Its the same thing, just a different term. The "vaso" part of the term points to the issue of the vascular system or the arteries playing a part in this all in that they dilate and cause the blood pressure to drop.

If you have any concerns in regards to these reactions, I invite you to discuss them with your practitioner. I myself go very slowly, one needle at a time with patients who are having their very first treatment. If any of these manifestations begin to arise, I pull the needles out and in a few minutes the feelings pass. At that time, whether or not to continue with the treatment can be reassessed.

	Al Stone, L.Ac. Beyond Well Being Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicines Santa Monica, CA. (310) 264-6668

Here's a really good Western medical explaination of the vaso-vagal or "needle-shock" reaction.