ACUPUNCTURE NEEDLE HEALTH AND SAFETY

Whenever you have an acupuncture treatment here in the UK, as laid down in the current BSI standards publication, needles should conform to BS ISO 17218:2014 and should say ‘Sterile acupuncture needles for single use’. This standard is not currently mandatory for the manufacture of acupuncture needles, but this is the gold standard for health and safety. Any member of the British Acupuncture Council should be already adhering to this.

The acupuncturist should also ask about certain potential allergies before treatment. Most needles are coated with silicone, and a small percentage of peopLe can have an allergic reaction to this. Needles may also contain nickel, zinc, or chromium.