What is pharmacopuncture, and how is it different from regular acupuncture?

Key points in 30 seconds

1. Pharmacopuncture is a treatment in which an herbal extract is injected through a fine needle.
2. With ultrasound, we can see which layer the needle tip is in.
3. This helps avoid what needs to be avoided when treating deep spots.
4. It isn't needed in every case.
5. If you take medicine that makes it hard for bleeding to stop, let us know in advance.

What we often hear

• "I've had acupuncture many times, but it only helped for a while."
• "I didn't know what pharmacopuncture was, and felt awkward asking."
• "I don't like injections. Is there another option?"

What is pharmacopuncture, and how is it different from regular acupuncture?

Pharmacopuncture is a treatment in which a purified extract from medicinal herbs is injected through a fine needle. While acupuncture only provides stimulation, pharmacopuncture adds the herbal ingredients directly to the spot on top of the stimulation.

We're often asked, "Is it a kind of acupuncture, or an injection?" It's a bit of both. Where it goes follows acupuncture points, and the way it's delivered is closer to an injection.

What does it mean to inject it while watching an ultrasound?

It means we watch the structures under the skin on a screen and check where the needle tip is as we go. It's the difference between guessing by touch alone and seeing with your own eyes.

Nerves and blood vessels run through the body. When we need to reach a deep spot, it's hard to avoid what should be avoided if we can't see. On the screen, we can confirm which layer the needle is in right now.

We can also check whether it went exactly where we intended. In narrow places, such as where a tendon attaches to bone, even a small miss means the medicine spreads into the wrong layer.

When is it used?

When acupuncture alone wasn't enough, and when the painful spot is so deep that it's hard to reach by touch alone.

We don't use it for everyone. If it's a muscle knot near the surface, acupuncture or hands-on release is often enough. Doing more is not always better.

Are there side effects?

We won't say there are none. Because it involves a needle, you may get a bruise or the spot may feel sore for a few days, and in rare cases an allergic reaction can occur.

If you take medicine that makes it hard for bleeding to stop, have inflammation or an infection at that spot, or are pregnant, please tell us in advance. In some cases we won't do it, or we'll take a different approach.

If the spot gets more and more swollen and red after treatment, or you develop a fever, tell us right away.

What are the limits of this explanation?

We don't have data comparing outcomes to show that injecting while watching an ultrasound gives better results than not doing so.

To be precise: what we've said here is the fact that "we can check where the needle tip is," not that "so it heals better." These are two different things, and claiming the second would require evidence.

We start by checking whether pharmacopuncture is right for the spot. It isn't a treatment every pain needs; it's for when we need to reach a deep spot directly.

If you've had acupuncture many times and it only helped for a while, just ask us. We'll look together at why it only helped for a while.

The right treatment differs from person to person depending on where it hurts and their condition.