Are acupuncture needles reused? Are acupuncture needles hollow? Sterile?
People are often ask about the needles used in acupuncture, are they sterile, are they hollow, are they reused?
Of course most people think of the big hollow needles (which hurt!) That are used in hospitals and doctors offices when they think of acupuncture. But that’s just wrong! Our needles are very different. Unlike the hypodermic needles used for giving shots or drawing blood which need the hollow space for fluids to move through, acupuncture needles are tiny. The thinnest needles are about the size of a shaft of hair, and the biggest not much bigger than that. In fact acupuncture needles are so thin that 40 of them can fit into a standard hypodermic needle.
Acupuncture needles are made of stainless steel and have a very fine point which allows them to glide past structures and tissues such as blood vessels which is why most of the time there is no bleeding with acupuncture.
In the past needles were disinfected, resharpened and used again. Some people even had their own personal sets of needles. But today single use disposable needles are used to prevent spreading any blood transmitted diseases.
I have been using a brand called DBC Spring Ten for years.
“The DBC™ Spring Ten needle is manufactured in an automated facility, giving it consistency and quality unrivaled by other needles in the market.
Sterile disposable, surgical stainless steel acupuncture needles with 25 mm "spring" style metal handle.
Manufactured exclusively for Lhasa OMS by DongBang™ Corporation, DBC™ needles are the highest quality Korean needles on the market and renowned worldwide for their smooth painless insertion. All DBC™ acupuncture needles are made from the best surgical-grade stainless steel and sterilized with Ethylene-Oxide Gas (ETO) in strict compliance with CE Marking, ISO 9002, British Q-mark, and 510K certification from the United States FDA and WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines.
DBC™ acupuncture needles are made with machine-controlled precision to ensure every needle is finished to the highest quality. The grinding and polishing processes are automatically controlled and have no human intervention, thus ensuring excellent consistency. DBC™ needles have a micro polished high-tech coated body and optimized needle tip to geometrically ensure smooth painless insertion. The easy grip handles are especially designed with a handle length of up to 25mm both in pipe handle and spring handle products.
DongBang™ Corporation is one of the largest acupuncture manufacturers in the world and fully committed to innovation and the continuous support of worldwide academic research in acupuncture.”
Pivotal Point Oriental Medicine located in Faribault Minnesota