GETTING AIDS FROM ACUPUNCTURE NEEDLES
someone wrote in expressing concern about getting AIDS from acupuncture
needles.....
Unless your friend is sharing fluids with their acupuncturist who
themselves has AIDS..it is unlikely (not impossible) they will get AIDS
from acupuncture needles. Generally, even if accidently inoculated, the normal
immune response should be enough to effectively handle the minimal contaminant
involved with acupuncture needle insertion.
Most acupuncturists use disposable needles...use once and throw away. They
do this because you are not the only one concerned about transmission of
diseases via this route...so it's good business to advertise "disposable needlesused here." These needles tend to be of a lower quality however,
being poorly manufactured and too "sharp" in my opinion. They tend to snag {*filter*}vessels on insertion compared to higher quality needles.
If I choose to use acupuncture for a given complaint, that patient will get
their own set of new needles which are sterilized between treatments.
The risk here for hepatitis, HIV, etc. transmission is that I could mistakenly
use an infected persons needles accidently on the wrong
patient...but clear labelling and paying attention all but eliminates
this risk. Better quality needles tend to "slide" past vessels and
nerves avoiding unpleasant painful snags..and hematomas...so I use them.
Acupuncture needles come in many lengths and thicknesses...but they are all
solid when compared to their injection-style cousins. In China, herbal solutionsand western pharmaceuticals are occasionally injected into
meridian points purported to have TCM physiologic effects and so require
the same hollow needles used for injecting fluid medicine. This means...thinkingtiny...that a samll amount of tissue, the diameter of the needle bore, will be
injected into the body as it would be in a typical "shot." when the skin is
puntured. On the other hand when the solid
acupuncture needle is inserted, the skin tends to "squeeze" the needle
from the tip to the level of insertion such that any 'cooties' that
haven't been schmeared away with {*filter*} before insertion, tend to remain
on the surface of the skin minimizing invasion from the exterior.
Of course in TCM...the body's exterior is protected by the Wei (Protective) Qi..so infection is unlikely....or in other words...there is a normal inflammatory
and immune response that accompanies tissue damage incurred at the puncture
site.
While I'm fairly certain your friend will not have a transferable disease
transmitted to them via acupuncture needle insertion, I would like to know for
what complaint they have consulted the acupuncturist...not to know if it would be harmful.. but to know if it would be helpful.
John Badanes, DC, CA
