Can Acupuncture Needles Be Left In Too Long?

There is a certain timing that acupuncture can be left in for maximum effectiveness. In classic texts, the

timing was recorded as 28.38min after conversion to modern day timings.

The uniqueness of acupuncture is that after the diagnosis of the illness has been done, the Traditional

Chinese Medicine doctor or acupuncturist will insert the acupuncture needles into the acupoints in

accordance with the formulas used to treat the illness in question and execute the right techniques for the

stimulation of the acupoints with the acupuncture needles. The acupuncture needles are then left in the

body as the qi or energy circulates in the body and the necessary rebalancing will occur when the energy

passes the acupoints with the needles. The classic text recorded that for the circulation of energy or qi to

pass through one round in the body, it will take about a quarter of the two-hour period in ancient time

keeping system. Therefore, to keep the acupuncture needles in for one round of circulation to complete

Having said that, there will not be any side effects or adverse effects if the needles are left beyond this

timing. Leaving the acupuncture needles in for a prolonged period of time will just render no more

benefits beyond the optimal timing. As acupuncture has a bidirectional balancing working mechanism,

which means the treatment will always bring the body back to a neutral or balanced state and not push it

to extremes, there is no such thing as side effects in acupuncture treatments, be it leaving the needles in

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@dr_xiang_jun