Acupuncture Procedure

Standard procedures

ACUPUNCTURE

Purpose:

To provide a wide range of appropriate and evidence-based treatment options to guests on the basis of the therapist’s clinical reasoning and with clear goals in mind.

The Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists describes acupuncture as ‘one of the many skills used within physiotherapy as an integrated approach to the management of pain and inflammation and as a means of stimulating the body’s own healing chemicals in order to aid recovery and enhance rehabilitation’. 

• Acupuncture may only be provided by a qualified member of the therapy team and must only be used within the practitioner’s scope of practice. 
• All usual infection control procedures must be followed and gloves must be worn.
• Only single-use sterile disposable acupuncture needles are to be used.
• Acupuncture needles are to be safely disposed of in a sharps bin immediately following use. 
• Prior to the first session, the Acupuncture Information and consent form should be read by the guest, or read to the guest if this is appropriate. The AACP Acupuncture Information leaflet should be provided.
• Specific consent (verbal or written) must be gained prior to first treatment through the use of the Acupuncture Information and Consent form. If verbal consent is gained this must be stated on the form and dated. 
• Verbal consent must be gained before each subsequent session, as per usual physiotherapy treatment requirements. 
• For regular guests, consent should be regained every calendar year and the date of consent should be recorded in the current assessment.
• Absolute contraindications are:

• The use of points LI 4; SP 6; UB 60, 67 and sacral foraminal points B 31, 32, 33, 34 during pregnancy.
• Points lying around the thoracic region and thoracic organs, specifically including point GB21, with effect from 1 July 2024 as these points have been specifically excluded from the CSP insurance. 
• The use of acupuncture with patient who has uncontrolled movements.
• The needling of an oedematous limb at risk of lymphoedema
• Areas of spinal instability where as the result relaxation of the surrounding muscles could potentially give rise to spinal cord compression.
• The needling of scars, keloid, recent incisional wounds or skin with sensory deficit.
• The needling of intracapsular points if the patient is on anticoagulant therapy or is a haemophiliac.

• Relative contraindications are:

• Acute stroke
• Patients with cancer
• Areas of poor skin condition
• Diabetic patients
• Patients with epilepsy
• Hemophilia or other clotting disorders

• The therapist should use their clinical reasoning skills to decide if the relevant contraindications and precautions shown on the consent form mean that acupuncture is to be avoided, or limited to certain areas. 
• The Acupuncture Information and Consent form must be scanned in and attached to the guest’s PCS entry following the first treatment and any subsequent completion of the form. 
• Notes of the session must be completed as usual in SOAP format, but must also include the type of acupuncture carried out (e.g. dry needling, acupuncture, electro-acupuncture), the location of the needles (including acupuncture points and meridian lines if followed) and any adverse effects noted.
• If the needles are left in for a specific time following Western Medical Acupuncture practices, the duration should be stated. If dry needling techniques used and the needles are only left in for 1-2 minutes, this is not necessary. 

L Wallace 26/01/25 for review January 2026