Electroacupuncture Health Article

Precautions

Electroacupuncture should not be used on people who have seizures, epilepsy, histories of heart disease or strokes, or those with heart pacemakers. Electroacupuncture should not be performed on the head, throat, or directly over the heart, and should be perfrmed with care on spastic muscles. Another recommended precaution is that electrical current should not be sent across the midline of the body, which is the line running from the nose to the navel.

Side effects

During electroacupuncture, patients report sensations of tingling, warmth, and mild aches. Bruising and bleeding may occur, as the needles may hit small blood vessels.

BOOKS

Kakptchuk, Ted. The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine. New York: Congdon and Weed, 1983.

Requena, Yves, M.D. Terrains and Pathology in Acupuncture. Massachusetts: Paradigm, 1986.

OTHER

American Association of Oriental Medicine. http://www.aaom.org.

North American Society of Acupuncture and Alternative Medicine. http://www.nasa-altmed.com.

Douglas Dupler