Acupuncture Gone Wrong: 7 Acupuncture Mistakes That Strike a Nerve

After 10 years of neck, shoulder, and upper back pain, a woman sought the benefits of acupuncture. She’d already received numerous treatments with this acupuncturist in the past. 

This treatment, however, didn’t feel quite right. She experienced shooting pain during the acupuncture treatment from one needle. Her practitioner moved the needle and provided a heat pack, but the pain never subsided. After getting x-rays and consulting a doctor and surgeon, the patient received a shocking diagnosis.

Was it a muscle spasm? Bruising? Inflammation?

Nope. She’d sustained bilateral pneumothoraces—two collapsed lungs.

Acupuncture is generally considered a safe, low-risk procedure. Fatalities are extremely rare, and research suggests most of the adverse effects are mild. Studies cite side effects like fainting, pain, bruising, headaches, swelling, and local bleeding, as well as systemic reactions like tiredness. 

But minor and serious side effects do occur, and they have one thing in common: unhappy customers. And as an insurance provider, we know unhappy clients spell complaints and even claims.

Luckily, being aware of what can go wrong with acupuncture can help you bolster your practice against mistakes. In this article, we’re breaking down 7 acupuncture mistakes you should avoid to prevent acupuncture gone wrong accidents.

Top 7 Acupuncture Gone Wrong Mistakes

1. Insufficient Communication

With any service, mitigating injuries and keeping clients happy starts with communication. 

Alyssa Dazet, the 6-Figure Acupuncturist, learned this the hard way. While sharing her story on YouTube, Dazet described a patient she’d treated twice a week for years. She was a regular, loyal patient, and she always paid on time. So when the client faced financial challenges and requested to start a tab, Dazet agreed, trusting her client to pay it back.

Unfortunately, Dazet didn’t set a timeline or discuss expectations for paying off the tab. The tab grew, as did Dazet’s resentment toward the patient. When Dazet finally asked about the unpaid tab, her pent-up frustration turned the conversation upside down. The patient stormed out in tears.

Eventually, the tab was paid and the patient returned for regular acupuncture therapy. But failing to communicate openly hurt their relationship.

“I learned a lot that day, especially how important it is to have direct, open, compassionate, and clear communication for the success of my practice and for my relationships with my patients,” Dazet said.

Keep this in mind at every point in your patients’ treatment journeys. They should know how early to arrive for appointments, how to prepare, and what to expect. For example, North End Acupuncture advises new patients to eat a light meal, drink water, avoid caffeine, and dress comfortably before their appointment.

Before treatment starts, discuss potential risks and outcomes. Before they leave, communicate potential side effects. How can they expect to feel? Will there be pain after acupuncture? What symptoms are common? How should they rest and recover for the best possible results? 

The better you communicate, the more confident, comfortable, and trusting your patients will be. As a result, they’ll be less likely to complain or worry about acupuncture risks. 

2. Improper Intake and Onboarding

Intake and onboarding documents are an essential communication tool. Sadly, many acupuncture gone wrong incidents involve onboarding and intake errors.

Whether you’re onboarding new patients or catching up with regulars, practitioners like massage therapists use intake forms to collect important data. They’ll routinely ask about the patient’s medical history, past experiences, lifestyle, and preferences. Additionally, they should get the patient’s formal consent.

Not setting consistent intake and onboarding practices can spur bad acupuncture experiences for patients later. You lose an opportunity to educate, provide more personal treatments, and build trust. Plus, patients who don’t understand or consent to the risks are more likely to file claims against your practice.

For an example, let’s return to our earlier story about the patient who developed collapsed lungs post treatment. Although the practitioner did collect the patient’s medical history, they allegedly never informed the client about possible acupuncture risks. According to the case study, there was no record of obtaining the patient’s informed consent.

To help you prevent “he said, she said” arguments later, ask your patients to fill out intake forms and sign a written agreement before their treatment. Discuss these items verbally, too–especially with clients you haven’t seen in a while!

3. Ignoring Pre-Existing Conditions

Imagine collecting medical history about your patients—and not using it.

That’s exactly what that acupuncturist did. 

It turns out, the client whose lungs collapsed had a laundry list of possible contraindications, like sarcoidosis and kyphosis. The acupuncturist knew about these contraindications. But they didn’t adjust, tailor, or refer the treatment elsewhere. Instead, because the patient previously had positive acupuncture experiences at the clinic, the acupuncturist simply did the same thing that had worked for the client before. It was an acupuncture gone wrong accident waiting to happen.

Don’t be like them. Instead, always consider the client’s health history before treating them. And stick to your scope. If they need urgent medical attention, refer them out. If they aren’t an ideal candidate for acupuncture, inform them. It’s in their best interest (and yours).

4. Not Setting Clear Boundaries

Neglecting to set clear boundaries can harm your mental health and your relationships with patients. 

Let’s return to Dazet’s example. She made the mistake of offering her patient a tab without first setting clear boundaries. She didn’t give her patient a timeline or any guidelines for paying it off. And, due to her discomfort, Dazet put off the difficult (but necessary) follow-up conversation about the tab until she was too upset. This almost lost Dazet a loyal, long-term customer. 

She admits she probably won’t offer a tab again. If she did, Dazet says she would need stricter boundaries. 

To protect yourself, create policies early on for your professional boundaries. This includes things like last-minute cancellations, scheduling hours, and refunds.

5. Bad Acupuncture Technique

Understandably, lots of acupuncture gone wrong incidents happen when practitioners demonstrate poor technique.

Perhaps they’re new acupuncturists still honing their skills and confidence. Maybe they need more training or experience. Whatever the case, there’s often a learning curve. 

In this field, however, mistakes from bad acupuncture technique can cause or exacerbate side effects.

For example, excess stimulation, locating the wrong acupuncture points, using the wrong manual techniques, or guiding patients into incorrect or uncomfy postures can cause mild or worsen reactions like fainting. Conversely, moving clients into the supine, lateral, or prone positions may reduce their chances of fainting. Paying careful attention to very shallow acupoints can also prevent unnecessary damage.

Naturally, every acupuncturist starts somewhere. While you’re fine-tuning, watch lots of videos and practice. Practice anatomic palpation, Acupuncture Masterclass suggests. Practice on people with diverse body types. Work on locating acupuncture points on both sides of the body, they add. The more practice you get, the more confident you’ll be. (And the less likely you’ll be to cause beginner acupuncture mistakes, like not finding anatomical landmarks.)

6. Rushing

Some acupuncture gone wrong accidents have nothing to do with skills or training. Sometimes you’re just in a hurry.

In the publication Acupuncture Today, Felice Dunas described a patient who approached her for asthma relief. The treatment was easy and straightforward. The patient practically left with a skip in his step, Dunas said.

To her shock, the same patient called a few hours later, furious. Dunas had left a needle in his chest. He could barely breathe and rushed to the hospital for emergency care. The patient said he would never touch acupuncture again.

“He was right to be mad at me,” Dunas said. “In my [prior] 15 or so years of practice, I never before had a patient walk out with a needle still inserted. His shirt was covering it, and I just forgot that it was there. I had forgotten to write it down in his chart. It was a simple mistake caused by a very human person. How sad that it was my destiny to turn him off to our work.”

In her same article, Dunas described another case of acupuncture gone wrong with a young woman experiencing insomnia. Dunas prescribed a very gentle treatment, one that gave no cause for concern. Unfortunately, her treatment exacerbated the patient’s symptoms. The insomniac was awake two nights in a row. Looking back, Dunas realized the treatment was so gentle, she likely wasn’t paying close attention. She’d rushed through their consultation and didn’t give the client the focus she deserved. In turn, she likely missed crucial details.

‘I didn’t understand how I could have been so heavy handed. It’s not like me to over-treat,” she said. “But I missed the mark.”

Take your time and don’t rush. Rushing will only expose you to miscommunication and accidents. 

7. Insufficient infection control

Infections from acupuncture needles are less common now with disposable, single-use needles. But even contaminated hot-pack covers, towels, and cotton swabs can cause or spread infections, Reuters reported. Needlepoint contact with clothing and hair can affect sterility, as well.

To keep your clients and yourself safe from infections, avoid common mistakes like these from the California Acupuncture Board:

• Improper needle disposal.
• Failure to sterilize instruments.
• Unclean and unsanitary spaces.

No Insurance: An Acupuncture Mistake to Avoid

No acupuncturist is perfect; acupuncture gone wrong cases and mistakes can happen to anyone at any time. So don’t make the mistake of facing them without acupuncture insurance.

For coverage that always feels “on point,” apply for a quote in minutes.