Chinese researchers have published a systematic review of adverse events associated with acupuncture reported between 2000 and 2011. The investigators found 117 reports of 308 adverse events from 25 countries and regions. The main complications were bacterial infection caused by skin contact at acupoint sites. Internal injuries such as puncture of the lung were also reported. [Xu S and others. Adverse events of acupuncture: A systematic review of case reports. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Volume 2013, Article ID 581203] [pdf]

Reports of people harmed by acupuncture.

Surgical Neurology February 1979

(Scroll to report) British Medical Journal July 1983 [pdf]

Case Report . Chauffe, Ryan J. BS; Duskin, Ann L. BS, BA, Southern Medical Journal (November 2006)

Author: Bardia, Aditya ; Williamson, Eric E. ; Bauer, Brent A. Lancet (May 2006)

Case report of a 64-year-old man with psoas abscesses, epidural abscess and spondylitis after acupuncture. Spinal Cord (April 2006)

The authors conclude: "We have identified a large outbreak of rapidly growing mycobacterial infection among patients who received acupuncture at a single Oriental medicine clinic. Physicians should suspect mycobacterial infections in patients with persistent cutaneous infections following acupuncture, and infection control education including hygienic practice, should be emphasized for Oriental medical doctors practicing acupuncture". BMC Infectious Diseases (January 2006)

Infection (August 2005)

Journal of Emergency Medicine (July 2005)

Journal of Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery (July 2005)

Article by Edzard Ernst which reaches the conclusion "Based on prospective studies of almost 200,000 consultations, we are now able to state for the first time in its long history that acupuncture is reasonably safe." The Guardian (2nd November 2004)

Journal of Clinical Neuroscience (November 2004)

Acupuncture in Medicine [Journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society] (September 2004)

Report in Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies [FACT] (September 2004)

"Nowadays, acupuncture therapy is being used in more than 140 countries, and acupuncture accidents due to improper application are increasing. Prevention of acupuncture accidents has become a global issue deserving of great attention." Zhang R, Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao (July 2004)

"Since many old diabetic patients with degenerative joint diseases may consider this mode of treatment, guidelines on cleanliness and sterility of this procedure should be developed and practiced." Singapore Medical Journal (April 2004) [pdf]

Acupunct Med. (March 2004)

Quality & Safety in Health Care (2004)

Concludes that a modest association between hepatitis C and acupuncture has been reported in some countries. This emphasizes the importance of exclusively using disposable acupuncture needles. J. Gastroenterol Hepatol. (November 2003)