Dear Patient, Sometimes when you get acupuncture, you’ll feel a needle-like sensation in a spot where there’s not actually a needle. Similarly, a needle sensation might persist even after a needle is removed. I call these phantom needle pains. Referred pain, which is a nervous system response, happens all the time in the body. A heart attack can manifest as pain in the jaw. Gallstones can cause pain in the right shoulder blade. Even the brain freeze that occurs when you consume frozen drinks or foods is a type of referred pain. The intense cold of ice cream stimulates nerve endings in the mouth and throat, and the pain signal travels to the back of the head via the vagus nerve.
Phantom Needle Pain
Phantom Needle Pain
Phantom Needle Pain
Dear Patient, Sometimes when you get acupuncture, you’ll feel a needle-like sensation in a spot where there’s not actually a needle. Similarly, a needle sensation might persist even after a needle is removed. I call these phantom needle pains. Referred pain, which is a nervous system response, happens all the time in the body. A heart attack can manifest as pain in the jaw. Gallstones can cause pain in the right shoulder blade. Even the brain freeze that occurs when you consume frozen drinks or foods is a type of referred pain. The intense cold of ice cream stimulates nerve endings in the mouth and throat, and the pain signal travels to the back of the head via the vagus nerve.