Acupuncture is a treatment process that involves the use of very fine needles to ease pain and other conditions. The needles are inserted into your skin at predetermined points that are identified based on your ultimate goals. Treatment in different areas of the body are believed to yield different types of results. Although this method is a mainstream medicine option in China, it's only recently gained popularity as part of Western medicine. Here are a few common myths you may have heard about acupuncture treatment and the truth that you should know about them.

Myth: Acupuncture Treatment Hurts

A lot of people who have never had acupuncture believe that the treatment is going to be painful. After all, you're talking about puncturing your skin with all kinds of needles. The truth is, most patients either only feel an initial prick (much like an insect bite) or feel nothing at all. Acupuncture isn't designed to be a painful treatment but one that encourages your body's own healing energies to address your problems.

Myth: Acupuncture Only Helps if You're Treating Pain

One of the most common reasons that people seek acupuncture is to deal with pain. For example, chronic knee pain, arthritis pain and frequent headaches are all things that acupuncture can help treat. Along with these types of pain, though, this type of treatment is also successful for many other things, including hypertension, allergies and more.

Myth: Acupuncture is All Psychological

People with little experience using acupuncture often believe that it's all in your head. The truth is, acupuncture is far from a psychological treatment. In fact, acupuncture actually encourages your brain to release endorphins, which are natural painkillers. It can also have an anti-inflammatory effect. These are clear, physical reactions to acupuncture treatment.

Myth: If You Get Acupuncture Once, You Have to Keep Going

This has often been said about various alternative care methods, including chiropractic and acupuncture. In fact, most acupuncturists will try to target the underlying cause of your problem with your treatment so that you don't have to keep coming back simply to treat symptoms. When you can focus on the cause, you'll ultimately eliminate the symptoms as well. In fact, you could visit an acupuncturist once and never have any need to return. Though, many patients who visit will plan to return at regular intervals simply because it seems to help so much.

As you can see, there are several popular myths about acupuncture treatments. Now that you know the truth, talk with your physician and an acupuncturist to see if treatment could help your arthritis symptoms.