I'm not new to acupuncture, but I haven't had it done in a couple months.  I had a treatment last night, and it felt amazing.  Then, about 30 minutes after I got home, I rubbed my head and realized that my scalp on the left side of my head is completely numb!  Not only that, but the place I go is closed on Sundays and Thursdays...so I can't call, which I wish I could because it's been almost 24 hours and it's still numb!  Anybody know what this could be??  Is this dangerous?

hey dani - I've been practicing acupuncture for over 15 years and have never had anyone have that reaction - their entire scalp on one side going numb.  I'm curious -  did you have needles in your scalp?  In my informed consent it states that you may have numbness or tingling near the needle site for a while (even more than a day!)- a qi reaction.  This is not at all dangerous.  If they were doing scalp acupuncture on you - threading points in that area, that could be what it is.  But my first thought was maybe it has nothing at all to do with the acupuncture - that you for some reason developed numbness in that area and it would have happened if you had not gone for acupuncture.  Definitly follow up with your acupuncturist tomorrow, if it is related to the acupuncture I would not think it dangerous - about the only dangerous thing we can do with a needle is puncture an organ if someone were to not know what they were doing and, for example, needle very deeply in the area of the lung - its definitly not that.  I am just thinking it may be unrelated though.

Thanks.  I've left him a message.  I had needles in my forehead and in my ear on the opposite side, but that was it.  Maybe it is just the numbness/tingling you are speaking of....but it's not directly around the site which is why I was curious!