Ask Dr Xiang Jun: Why Itch After Acupuncture At Some Acupuncture Points?

Sometimes although infrequently, some patients may feel itching sensations at the acupuncture points that have been needled. Such itching sensations can also be accompanied by redness and tiny bumps around the skin of the acupuncture points. These symptoms are completely normal and no cause for worry. Here are the reasons:

1. From Scientific Point of View

When the skin is punctured by fine needles, a few mediators of the body are released at the area of lesion. The mediators can include immune response chemicals such as histamine, pain relief chemicals such as opioids, neuropeptides such as endorphins which are pain regulating messengers when there is pain produced from the skin being broken by the poking of the needle, neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine and serotonin, prostaglandins which create pain sensations in spinal nerve cells. These mediators will stimulate and activate the pruriceptors or itch-sensing nerve endings called C fibers which carry the signals along the nerve to the spinal cord and on to the brain, where they are processed and then generate a scratching or rubbing reflex response to the itching sensation at the skin superficial which is needled.

What this basically means is that the healing and immune response at the area which is acupunctured is activated. Itching is just an indication that such activation is taking place which is a good thing as we know that the body is indeed responding positively to the acupuncture treatment.

2. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine Point of View

Itching at a certain area of the body in Traditional Chinese Medicine means that the area has a surge of energy or qi.

In diseases and illnesses, itching at certain body parts means that bad or negative qi or energy is active or stuck in that area of itch. Such negative energy can be from the 6 exogenous factors or 7 endogenous factors in Traditional Chinese Medicine theories and philosophies for the formation of illnesses. Therefore treatment or herbs need to be prescribed and used to remove or unblock the negative energy aggregated.

In treatment like Acupuncture, itching after the session means that qi or energy is moving and circulating at the points of acupuncture where energy can be stuck or imbalanced.

However the probability that such post treatment itchiness occurs is dependent on different individual body constituents and the illnesses sustained. Not everyone will itch after the acupuncture session at the acupuncture points.