Is acupuncture safe

acupuncture-212From the British Acupuncture Council

Acupuncture is one of the safest medical treatments, both conventional and complementary, on offer in the UK.


Two surveys conducted independently of each other and published in the British Medical Journal in 2001 concluded that the risk of a serious adverse reaction to acupuncture is less than 1 in 10,000.

A total of 66,000 treatments were reviewed in both surveys, one of traditional acupuncturists and the other of doctors who practice acupuncture, with only a handful of minor and transient side effects.

A 2003 patient survey of 6,000 acupuncture patients revealed almost identical figures.

There are very few side effects from acupuncture when practiced by a fully qualified practitioner of traditional acupuncture. The needles used are ultra-fine, single-use, sterile and disposable and any side effects, such as dizziness or bruising around needle points, are mild and self-correcting.

When you are treated by a BAcC registered acupuncturist you can be confident that your well-being and safety is at the core of everything your practitioner does. The following assurances are BAcC standard practice:

  • your BAcC registered acupuncturist will set up a ‘clean field’ for needles and other equipment
  • needles are individually wrapped in sterile packaging and are used only once
  • used needles are deposited in a sharps box to be collected by an authorized carrier and safely disposed of as clinical waste
  • the treatment couch is covered with fresh paper couch roll for each patient, and used couch roll is disposed of as clinical waste
  • your practitioner will wash their hands several times before, during and after your treatment
  • all BAcC members have completed a first degree level training, or the equivalent, in traditional acupuncture including appropriate elements of western anatomy, physiology and pathology
  • all BAcC members have full medical malpractice and public/products liability insurance cover
  • our formal complaints and disciplinary procedures promote the highest standards of patient care

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