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Design by Matley
The ancient Chinese physicians named the sensation felt by the patient on needling as “Deqi” (or obtaining the energy). They attached great importance to the producing of “Deqi” as this was an indication of the needle having been inserted at the correct point and to the correct depth, thus ensuring better therapeutic results. The sensations felt by the patient are subjective and are described as: numbness, heaviness, tingling and/or distention
Radiation of one or more of these sensations, usually along the channel, may also be felt. This characteristic is referred to by modern acupuncturists as the P.S.C. phenomenon (Propagated Sensation along the Channel). P.S.C. can occur even in the missing part of a limb, thus the radiation is probably a central neurological happening .
A few patients experience a reaction after treatment and feel temporarily worse before they are better. This is more likely to happen after the first treatment than after subsequent ones. The reaction may manifest itself as an aggravation of the patient's usual symptoms, or sometimes as merely fatigue. This passes off in a few hours or days, though on very rare occasions it might last weeks. After the reaction there is sometimes a return to the patients initial state of health, though more often it is followed by an improvement or even a remarkable improvement .