The placement of acupuncture needles is typically painless, but sometimes the patient may feel a sensation either at the site of the needle or down the limb where the needle was placed. This sensation is referred to as the "arrival of Qi." Qi (pronounced chee) refers to the energy that flows throughout the body in prescribed patterns called meridians. The sensation is momentary. Afterward, the needles are painless.
Needles are often placed both locally near the patient's problem area and at distant sites on the body (that correspond with the problem area in TCM). This process treats the symptoms locally and utilizes the patient's meridians to remove energetic obstructions and improve the flow of Qi throughout the body. When energy easily flows in its natural rhythms, the body has sufficient "life force" to heal itself.
While the acupuncture points may at first seem illogical or arbitrary, they have been carefully studied and utilized by the Chinese for thousands of years with profound results. Once the needles are placed, the patient is allowed to relax for a period of time that usually ranges from 20 to 40 minutes. After this time, the needles are painlessly removed.
