When performed by a competent practitioner, acupuncture is safe.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates acupuncture needles and restricts their use to licensed practitioners. The FDA requires acupuncture needles to be sterile, nontoxic, and labeled for single use.
Acupuncturists also take a required “clean needle technique” class. In developing the Clean Needle Technique Manual, experts from OSHA and the CDC were consulted to ensure that the recommendations in the manual meet current OSHA and CDC standards.
