Let me start out by saying this: I have an extreme dislike for needles. I haven’t liked needles for as long as I can remember, but that is also the exact reason I went and did acupuncture with my wonderful friend Hailee. I didn’t realize there was going to be free pizza, but that is a perk of going to events on campus.
There were two interns who were going to be performing the acupuncture, and they were both very nice and very willing to answer questions. They had us clean our ears with alcohol swabs, which was reassuring, as health can sometimes be a concern. Then they proceeded to put three acupuncture needles in each ear. I was really nervous, but the needles were really small. It also helped when I breathed in and then out as they were putting the needle in my ear.
Eventually, all six were in and I was only in a small amount of pain but breathing steadily definitely helped. They then came around and took out all the needles, which was painless and used a cotton swab for any small amount of blood. They also had what they called “beads” to put on the back of our ears, which I still currently have on, that help prolong the effects of the acupuncture.
I had no idea what to expect going in, but I felt surprisingly relaxed after the needles were in. They said to keep your hands and legs uncrossed to increase blood flow and also turned off the lights. It was about 20-30 minutes that they had us chill out. It was relaxing and a very peaceful 30 minutes.
I cannot say that I would do it again, but it was definitely an experience worth having despite my dislike of needles. There was minimal pain, a very relaxing time, and of course the free pizza is always a perk. Big shout-out to the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association for providing free acupuncture and to their wonderful interns, for creating a great experience for a first time.