At-Home Acupuncture Kits and "Acupuncture Pens": Why to Be Careful

Urgent first

If, after any needling, you have trouble breathing, chest pain, sudden weakness, fainting that does not pass, a spreading red or hot area, fever or heavy bleeding, get urgent medical care. In the United States, call 911. Do not wait for a practitioner to call back.

What this page is

You may see online ads for "acupuncture kits", loose needles, "acupuncture pens" and "point finders". This page explains why needles are a poor fit for home use and what the pens are. It does not tell you how to use any of them, and we give no instructions for needling yourself or anyone else. For care from a trained person, see What Is Acupuncture? and How to Choose an Acupuncturist.

Why needles are not a home activity

Acupuncture needles pierce the skin. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says complications have resulted from nonsterile needles and improper delivery of treatments, and that when treatment is not delivered properly it can cause serious adverse effects including infections, punctured organs and injury to the central nervous system. [1]

Reviews of published cases show what those problems look like:

• A review of Chinese-language case reports (479 cases) found the most frequent adverse events were pneumothorax (collapsed lung), fainting, bleeding around the brain and infection. [2] Fourteen patients died. [2] The authors said most of these events were due to improper technique. [2]
• A review of English-language case reports from 2000 to 2011 found infections were the main complication and most were bacterial, from skin contact at the needle site. [3] The earlier review had found hepatitis spread by reusable needles. [3] The authors said clean needle technique must be followed. [3]

These are case reports, not rates, so they cannot tell you how often harm happens. They show the kinds of harm that are possible, and that they are tied to technique and sterility, which are the things a person at home cannot reliably control. Label: evidence of harm (case reports).

The NHS says acupuncture may not be safe if you take blood-thinning medicine, are at increased risk of bleeding, or have a skin condition or skin infection. [4] A practitioner can ask about these before treating you; a kit cannot.

What US rules say about needles

The US Food and Drug Administration regulates acupuncture needles as medical devices, and the NCCIH says they must be sterile and labeled for single use only. [1] The federal regulation describes an acupuncture needle as a device intended to pierce the skin in the practice of acupuncture, and requires labeling for single use only and conformance to the requirements for prescription devices. [5] A product sold as a "kit" is not proof that it is sterile, correctly labeled or meant for untrained use. We could not verify the status of any particular product, and we do not name or rank products or sellers.

What is an "acupuncture pen"?

The term is used for more than one kind of product, so read the description carefully. The pens in the studies we read were not needles.

• Electronic pens. In published dental studies, "electronic acupuncture pen" meant a device delivering transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) through the skin. [6]
• Point locators. The federal regulation uses the term "acupuncture point locator" and exempts those devices, along with single-use needles, from premarket notification. [5]

What do the studies show? The ones we found are small and about children having dental injections, not general pain at home. In one trial, children aged 6 to 12 had either the pen or a numbing gel; there was no significant difference in the two pain scales. [6] In another, 24 children aged 12 to 16 had the pen or a cold spray, and the spray group reported significantly less pain. [7] Those studies compared the pen with other numbing methods, not with a sham pen, and they do not show that "pens" help back pain, headache, sleep or any other home use. Label: insufficient evidence for home use. Marketing claims that a pen "balances energy" or "unblocks meridians" are marketing claims and not research findings.

Safer paths

• Gentle options without needles. Acupressure describes needle-free pressure approaches and cautions.
• Trained care. Most US states license acupuncturists, and requirements vary. [1] See Acupuncture Practitioner Licensing and Training by Jurisdiction.
• Tell your doctor. Do not use acupuncture, or anything marketed as a replacement, to postpone seeing a health care provider. [1]
• Report harm. See Reporting an Acupuncture Adverse Event or Complaint.

Related

Acupuncture Side Effects and Precautions lists documented risks. Acupuncture vs Dry Needling covers a related needle technique that also needs trained hands.