Home-acupuncture

Home-acupuncture is well established, and has been taught to patients since 1977, both in hospitals and in general practice. The possible benefits of home-acupuncture may be similar to those you received after treatment from an acupuncturist (see the leaflet Acupuncture for Chronic pain and Headaches) but may not be as noticeable or long-lasting.

All treatments and procedures have risks and we will talk to you about the risks of acupuncture before the treatment starts. The general risks of acupuncture are covered in the leaflet Acupuncture for Chronic pain and Headaches. The risks of home acupuncture are described on pages 6 to 8 of this booklet.

If you choose not to do home-acupuncture, it will not affect the care provided to you at RLHIM. You may either continue regular treatment at RLHIM, or if this is not possible or you don’t want to continue treatment at RLHIM, you may:

• Continue treatment closer to where you live with an NHS acupuncturist, if available (please discuss this with your GP).
• Continue treatment closer to where you live with a private acupuncturist (please ask your NHS acupuncturist for details of how to find one).
• Stop having acupuncture treatment.

We want to involve you in all the decisions about your care and treatment. Your acupuncturist will explain all the risks, benefits and alternatives to home-acupuncture. If you are unsure about anything, please discuss it with your acupuncturist. If you decide to go ahead with home-acupuncture your acupuncturist will ask you to sign a consent form. This confirms that you agree to try home-acupuncture and understand what it involves.

Personal treatment plan

Your acupuncturist will give you a personal treatment plan. This will have information about the location of the acupuncture points, the depth the needles should go to and how long the needles should be kept in for.

Equipment you will need to do home-acupuncture:

• acupuncture needles
• a sharps bin (for used needles). This will be provided by your acupuncturist
• a dish or bowl to count the needles into
• a box of tissues
• a non-toxic pen

A few needles may be provided free of charge when you start home-acupuncture. After this, you will need to buy single-use disposable needles from:

Scarboroughs Ltd Acupuncture Supplies
Telephone: 01460 72072
Website: www.scarboroughs.co.uk

Order ‘J-type’ needles, number 5, 0.25 mm diameter, 30mm long. The product code is DN042530. The price is £11.34 for a box of 100 (price correct at June 2023). Before starting, make sure that the room you’re doing home-acupuncture in is safe. There should be no children, pets or phones to distract you.

What to Do: A step-by-step guide

Step one: 

Make sure that the skin where you insert the needle is clean.

Step two:

Wash and dry your hands using soap and water.

Step three:

Sit or lie down in the recommended position. Uncover the area of the body you will needle. It is important to keep warm, comfortable and safe.

Step four:

Find the acupuncture points you have been taught to needle. Draw a circle around the points with a non-toxic pen.

Step five:

Insert the needle following these instructions:

1. Remove the needle from its packet.
2. Hold the guide tube (the plastic tube around the needle) between your index finger and thumb
3. Position the guide tube over the point where you will insert the needle. Press the guide tube into your skin.#
4. Push the needle handle to one side of the guide tube until you here a clicking sound. (The needle and guide tube are stuck together. Doing this will unstick them).
5. Tap the needle quickly with the index finger of your other hand so that the needle goes through your skin.
6. Carefully remove the guide tube.
7. Using the plastic handle, push the needle to the depth your acupuncturist has told you to on your personal treatment plan (usually no more than a centimetre).
8. If your acupuncturist has advised, twist the needle gently a few times in both directions. Be careful not to push the needle in any deeper.

Step six:

Write down the number of needles you have used on your personal treatment plan.

Step seven:

Leave the needles in for the time stated in your personal treatment plan. Try to sit or lie still during treatment.

Step eight:

Remove the needles and place them into a bowl or dish. Count them to make sure that no needles are left in.

Step nine:

Put the needles into the sharps bin. Needle packaging should be put in your general waste container.

Step ten:

Check for bleeding or bruising in the areas you had inserted the needles. To reduce bruising, apply light pressure with a tissue to areas where there is bleeding.

Extra information

1. Don’t use a needle that has dropped on the floor or been in contact with anything other than its sterile packaging.
2. Don’t use needles which are bent.
3. Don’t insert the needle up to the plastic handle.
4. Never put a dirty or used needle back into its packet or guide tube.
5. When your sharps bin is full, seal the lid and return it to your local pharmacy or to the RLHIM pharmacy and get a replacement.
6. Use only the needles that have been approved by your acupuncturist.

The British Medical Acupuncture Society supports health professionals who practice Western medical acupuncture. The website provides information for patients and health professionals: www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk

The British Acupuncture Council promotes traditional Chinese acupuncture and provides information for patients and acupuncturists: www.acupuncture.org.uk

Patient Services

The Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
60 Great Ormond Street
London
WC1N 3HR
Phone Number: 020 3448 2000
Switchboard: 0203 456 7890
E-mail: uclh.enquiry.rlhim.patients@nhs.net (not for referrals)
Website: www.uclh.nhs.uk/rlhim