Dizziness acupuncture

In a prospective investigation of the adverse effects of Japanese acupuncture, all adverse effects experienced by patients in an acupuncture clinic seen between November 1992 and October 1997 were recorded (22). There were 64 adverse events. Failure to remove the needles, dizziness, discomfort, and sweating were the most frequent adverse reactions. There were no serious adverse events. These data suggest that superficial needling as used in Japanese acupuncture is relatively safe. 

Norwegian researchers sent questionnaires about acupuncture to a random sample of the Norwegian general population (63). Of the 653 respondents, 7% claimed to have had adverse effects. The most common were dizziness, fatigue, and pain from the needles. No serious adverse effects were reported. 

Adjunct techniques can provide opioidsparing effects, reducing the incidence of opioid-related adverse effects. According to the results of a meta-analysis, adjunctive acupuncture reduced the consumption of opioid-related adverse effects such as nausea, dizziness, sedation, pruritus, and urinary retention [32 ]. 

Observational studies In a Korean retrospective cross-sectional survey of 1095 subjects who used acupuncture, 75 (6.8%) described negative short-term acupuncture reactions, including feelings of pain in 37 (3.4%), tiredness in 24 (2.2%), and dizziness in nine (0.8%). The only adverse event reported was bleeding in 92 (8.4%) of the participants [121 ]. 

A 43-year-old woman suddenly developed a headache, dizziness, and heavy sweating with vomiting during the second acupuncture treatment for low back and leg pain [126 ]. The needles were removed immediately and she was helped to lie down. Most of her symptoms resolved but the headache persisted for 2 days. A subarachnoid hemorrhage was later confirmed by CT scan. 

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