People often ask if Acupuncture is safe. As with many fields of health care, it is extremely safe when practiced by trained and qualified professionals. In most states, a trained acupuncturist is licensed or certified by the state regulatory body.

This generally requires an acupuncturist to have earned a graduate degree and hold a national board certification. Both of our clinic’s acupuncturists, Mindy Hayden and Tanya Hughes, are licensed by the state of Arizona and are nationally board certified by NCCAOM. They also have specialized training from their ongoing both here in the U.S. and abroad in Beijing, China.

Here at The Acupuncture Center we maintain the highest of health care standards. The clinic is completely HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – which determines how we handle your personal information), and OSHA (the federal agency charged with the enforcement of safety and health legislation) compliant. We use only prepackaged, one time use sterile needles that are 100 percent disposable. They are used once on one patient, and then they are placed into a special sharps container that is shipped off and properly disposed of (as required by law).

The needles we use in our clinic are approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration and are certified safe for use in acupuncture treatments. They are non-toxic and sterilized and are labeled for single use by an authorized medical practitioner. The FDA recommends that practitioners use a new set of needles for each treatment, which are offered in a hygienic sealed pack. At each point location the area is first cleaned by alcohol before the needles are inserted.

Additionally, acupuncture is defined as a minimally invasive procedure and has an extremely low risk factor. Also, by using proper needle techniques, Clean Needle Protocol, and pre-sterilized single-use needles acupuncture treatments are among some of the safest possible medical procedures.