Formulas & Needles
What Is Needle Fainting (Yün Zhen)?
Needle fainting (yün zhen) is a transient cerebral ischemic reaction that may occur during acupuncture treatment, triggered by nervousness, hunger, constitutional weakness, improper body position, or overly forceful needling. Symptoms range from dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, and pallor to palpitations, sweating, and even sudden collapse. This article details its common causes, mechanisms, and emergency management: immediately withdraw all needles, help the patient lie flat with the head lowered, loosen clothing, ensure ventilation and warmth, and offer warm water. In more severe cases, needling Renzhong (GV26), Neiguan (PC6), or Zusanli (ST36), or moxibustion at Baihui (GV20), Guanyuan (CV4), or Shenque (CV8) can be applied. Recovery generally occurs within a few minutes.
Under normal acupuncture treatment, apart from a very slight pain upon needle insertion, the patient may experience sensations of soreness, numbness, heaviness, distention, or even comfort at the needling site or throughout the body — sensations that are generally well accepted by most people. It is only when symptoms such as mental fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, and a desire to vomit appear during the needling process, or when more severe signs such as a pale complexion, palpitations with sweating, or sudden collapse occur, that the condition is classified as needle fainting (yün zhen). It is generally believed that this is caused by a transient insufficiency of blood supply and oxygen to the brain resulting from a variety of factors. In patients receiving acupuncture for the first time, it may be due to mental and emotional tension, compounded by hunger at the time of needling, or a weakened constitution following profuse sweating, severe diarrhea, or major hemorrhage, as well as the adoption of standing or sitting postures during treatment. An overly forceful needling technique by the acupuncturist, and a poorly maintained treatment room environment — whether stuffy and hot or excessively cold — are also contributing causes of needle fainting.
When needle fainting occurs, as long as all retained needles are promptly removed from the patient, the patient is supported to lie flat with the head lowered, the clothing and belt are loosened, attention is given to ventilation and warmth, or the patient is given warm boiled water to drink, the needle fainting phenomenon will generally resolve within a few minutes. For those who have already lost consciousness, one may apply finger pressure or needle acupoints such as Renzhong (GV26), Neiguan (PC6), or Zusanli (ST36), or apply moxibustion at acupoints such as Baihui (GV20), Guanyuan (CV4), or Shenque (CV8). When necessary, modern emergency measures may be concurrently employed, and the patient will quickly return to normal.