A woman has recounted a frightening experience following an acupuncture session after discovering a needle lodged in her neck more than 10 hours after the treatment, prompting her to seek emergency medical attention.
Natalia, a content creator who shared her experience on TikTok, documented the incident as she dealt with a series of troubling physical symptoms that left her worried about her health.
In her initial post, Natalia displayed a large needle to the camera while describing her discovery and expressing concern about her condition.
‘Just found a needle in my neck from my acupuncture appointment over 10 hours ago.
“Pulled it out and now I feel nauseated and lowkey like I’ve been beaten with a bat. Am I going to cease to exist? Do I need to go to the ER?’
Her condition reportedly deteriorated afterwards, leading her to visit a hospital for medical assessment.
In a subsequent update filmed at the hospital, Natalia described experiencing several symptoms, including sweating, shaking, nausea and unusual sensations in her hands and legs.
‘Okay so I started shaking and sweating, and feeling like I was going to throw up and cry, and slightly tingling in my legs and hands like cyclically, and feeling typical anxiety symptoms physically but completely calm mentally.’
Natalia also expressed dissatisfaction with the response she received from medical personnel, alleging that the professionals who attended to her were dismissive of her concerns.
According to her account, they attributed her symptoms to anxiety triggered by seeing the needle.
She said they had been ‘condescending,’ telling her: ‘It’s anxiety from my brain seeing the needle.’
Natalia was subsequently given Benadryl, an antihistamine commonly used to relieve allergy symptoms and other conditions, including itching and hives.
Reflecting on the experience, she questioned whether her physical complaints had been adequately addressed.
“I lowkey feel like I just got diagnosed with like female hysteria and sedated,’ she added.
After leaving the emergency department, Natalia reported feeling heavily drowsy while continuing to experience pain that she said was unfamiliar and persistent.
‘Now I’m just feeling really drowsy and out of it.
“And I still have a lot of pain for some reason that I’ve never had before and it won’t go away.’
She also claimed that when she contacted her acupuncturist to explain what had happened, the only advice she received was to ‘hydrate’.
Natalia Considers Possible Legal Action
The incident also prompted questions from social media users about whether she intended to pursue legal action against the practitioner.
Responding to the possibility of a lawsuit, Natalia said she wanted compensation for the distress and discomfort she had experienced but was reluctant to enter a prolonged legal dispute without sufficient grounds.
‘Obviously I would like to be compensated for how scary this was, for the pain and the dysregulation I have been dealing with, the time I’ve spent dealing with it and stuff.
‘But I don’t want to be in endless litigation that wastes resources if the case isn’t solid,’
She acknowledged that she was still uncertain about whether the incident would have any lasting consequences. She also recognised that some discomfort can occur following acupuncture and that determining the precise cause and extent of an adverse reaction could be difficult.
Her account nevertheless sparked concern among viewers, with some saying the experience had discouraged them from considering acupuncture.
One commenter wrote, ‘I’m about to pass out reading this,’ while another declared, ‘You couldn’t pay me to get acupuncture,’
A third summed up their reaction by saying, ‘New fear unlocked,’
What to Know About Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a treatment technique associated with traditional Chinese medicine that involves inserting fine needles into specific points on the body. It is commonly used by practitioners as part of an approach intended to address various health concerns.
According to the Mayo Clinic, traditional Chinese medicine describes acupuncture as a method of restoring balance to the body’s energy flow.
‘Traditional Chinese medicine explains acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force believed to flow through pathways in your body,’ according to the Mayo Clinic.
‘By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will re-balance.
Although acupuncture is generally considered to carry relatively low risks when performed appropriately, complications can occur, particularly when proper safety procedures are not followed.
The Mayo Clinic states that the risks are low ‘if you have a competent, certified acupuncture practitioner using sterile needles.’
Among the more commonly reported side effects are soreness, slight bleeding and bruising around the areas where needles have been inserted.
“Single-use, disposable needles are now the practice standard, so the risk of infection is minimal,’ it concluded.
Natalia’s account has drawn attention to the importance of proper treatment procedures, patient safety and the need to take unexpected symptoms following any medical or complementary therapy seriously.
However, her experience alone does not establish whether the acupuncture procedure caused all the symptoms she described, and the long-term effects, if any, remain unclear based on her account.
