The risks of acupuncture are low if you have a competent, certified acupuncture practitioner using sterile needles. Common side effects include soreness and minor bleeding or bruising where the needles were inserted.

Acupuncture needles are inserted to various depths at strategic points on your body. The needles are very thin, so insertion usually causes little discomfort. People often don't feel them inserted at all.

Single-use, disposable needles are now the standard. This helps to minimize the risk of infection.

Often you won't feel the needles being inserted, because they are thin and gently inserted. Once a needle reaches its intended depth, you're likely to feel a mild, dull ache or a slight tingling sensation. This may be a sign that the treatment is working and the acupuncture point is being activated.

By Texas Law you will have to have seen your PCP (Primary Care Physician), within the last Six Months or Chiropractor last 30 days before you can seek acupuncture treatment. You will be required to sign a form stating you have seen been seen for the condition you are coming in for. The exceptions to this are Chronic Pain, Substance Abuse, Smoking Addiction and Weight Loss.

To determine the type and number of acupuncture treatments that will help you the most, your practitioner may ask you several questions about your symptoms, behaviors and lifestyle. He or she may also closely examine:

The parts of your body that are affected

• The shape, coating and color of your tongue
• The color of your face
• The strength, rhythm and quality of the pulse in your wrist

Dry needling is a term used to describe a small part of Ashi Point needling theory inside of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The term is being used so it can be used without clear regulation by non-acupuncturists and due to a lack of regulation and guidelines, a person can perform dry needling with minimal training. Ashi needling does help alleviate symptoms but it does not look at the bigger picture of why it is needed in the first place. So it fails to address the root issue to help prevent the issue from coming back.

If you're considering acupuncture, take the same steps you would to choose a doctor:

• Ask people you trust for recommendations.
• Check the practitioner's training and credentials. Most states require that nonphysician acupuncturists pass an exam conducted by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
• Interview the practitioner. Ask what's involved in the treatment, how likely it is to help your condition and how much it will cost.