How does acupuncture feel, and is it uncomfortable?

Acupuncture needles are so fine that the experience is vastly different from the hypodermic injections so many people fear.  Insertions usually cause minimal, in any, discomfort.  Should any momentary sharpness occur, it will commonly disappear at once as the needle quickly passes the superficial skin layer.  A variety of "needling sensations" may then arise, such as tingling, a sense of energy flow, heaviness, or numbness.  These are signs that the treatment is doing what it is supposed to do - activate, strengthen, and regulate the body's energy system.  Beyond any  local sensations, treatment very often elicits a profound sense of calm and relaxation, as the body's disordered energy moves back into balance.  This sense of general well-being tends to occur even when the focus of the treatment is something as defined and targeted as pain from a local injury.