What the safety data shows
Two large UK surveys published in the British Medical Journal in 2001 covered more than 66,000 acupuncture treatments by doctors, physiotherapists and professional acupuncturists. No serious adverse events were recorded. Minor events such as bleeding at a needle site, bruising, feeling faint or drowsy occurred in a small minority of treatments and resolved without treatment. Later reviews reached the same conclusion: in trained hands, acupuncture is one of the safer physical therapies available.
Where the risks come from
The rare serious problems reported worldwide, such as infection or injury to an organ, are almost always linked to untrained practitioners, reused needles or unsafe needling depth. This is why who treats you matters more than the treatment itself. In the UK, acupuncturists registered with the British Acupuncture Council or the Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine follow strict hygiene and safe practice codes, and premises must meet local authority requirements for skin piercing.
Who should take extra care
Tell your practitioner if you are pregnant, take anticoagulant medication, have a bleeding disorder, a pacemaker, epilepsy, a compromised immune system or a metal allergy. None of these rule out acupuncture, but some points and techniques are avoided and electro-acupuncture is not used with a pacemaker. Acupuncture is not a substitute for medical treatment of a serious condition.
What we do at Omnia
All needles are sterile, single-use and disposed of after each treatment. Dr Jialin Zhu is a member of the British Acupuncture Council, and Dr Youzhong Wu and Dr Shu Fen Zhang are members of the Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Every patient has a full medical history taken before any needling. Our acupuncture clinic is in Chiswick, W4, a short walk from Turnham Green station.
Book acupuncture in Chiswick: £80 for a 60-minute session. Book online or call 020 4515 0000. Our clinic is at 8 to 9 Bedford Corner, The Avenue, Chiswick W4 1LZ, close to Turnham Green station, on bus routes 94, E3 and 272. Limited parking is available on request when booking.
After your session
You may feel relaxed or sleepy for an hour or two. Avoid heavy exercise and alcohol for the rest of the day, drink water, and contact us if anything concerns you.