Product in Practice: Seirin Needles

I started receiving acupuncture treatments in the 1990s during my college years in North Carolina. Ever since my first session, I have been in awe of how powerfully helpful acupuncture is. Acupuncture helped my migraines, endometriosis, allergies, and stress levels. It was truly life changing and was the first time in my life that I felt I had a tool to help me feel better.

So after being a migrant farmer activist, an emergency crisis social worker, a librarian, and a singer-songwriter, I realized my calling was to be an acupuncturist. I was such a cheerleader for this medicine and was always encouraging others to try it. Therefore, I took a leap of faith and moved to New York City to attend Tri-State College of Acupuncture in 2007. (TSCA closed earlier this year).

During my Master’s of Science in Clinical Acupuncture education, my teachers at Tri-State only ever used SEIRIN needles for training and for clinic. I quickly realized how much I loved these needles above all others I have ever received. I have very sensitive skin and had had mixed experiences with receiving acupuncture through the years. Sometimes other needle brands had been quite painful to experience- even with the most gentle treatment. I proudly tell my patients in my own practice, that I use SEIRIN needles, the “painless ones,” because they are the only ones I ever want for my own acupuncture treatments.

I use several different gauges of SEIRIN needles-green, red, and blues on a daily basis in my own busy private practice. The blues (.20×30) are amazing for trigger point releases, a sports medicine approach to releasing tight, tender points in the muscles- a style that TSCA excelled at teaching with Dr. Mark Seem’s Acupuncture Physical Medicine (APM) approach to using acupuncture to help chronic and acute pain. My favorite gauge overall is the light greens (.14 x 15 and 30). They are wonderful for TCM approaches to treatment.

I recently was hired to be the first pediatric acupuncturist at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital’s Pain and Palliative Care staff in Knoxville, TN. This special integrative team offers massage, music therapy, essential oils, and now acupuncture and acupressure to the modalities that the hospital can offer their patients. At Children’s Hospital, I am focusing on using acupuncture to help with symptoms of pain, migraines, nausea, stress, and anxiety.

For my pediatric patients who range from babies to teenagers, I have found that SEIRIN .14 x15 (green) needles are amazing. All of these kiddos have never received acupuncture before and absolutely love their treatments. They cannot believe that these painless needles are actually needles. Often, they call them their “magic sticks” or their “taps,” and brag to their family about how many needles they had during their session.  Most importantly, it was helping them manage their pain and symptoms while they heal and feel better.

About the author:

Jodie Manross is a nationally board-certified acupuncturist in Knoxville, TN.  She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC and her Master’s of Science degree in Clinical Acupuncture from Tri-State College of Acupuncture (TSCA) in New York City in 2011. At TSCA, she trained with master acupuncturists who treat wide array of sports and dance injuries – from players of the NY Jets and Giants (National Football League) and the NY Yankees and Mets (Major League Baseball) – to the New York City Ballet and Broadway performers. Jodie has extensively trained in pediatric acupuncture and acupressure and is now the first pediatric acupuncturist at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital (ETCH).

In her music life, Jodie has opened for artists such as BB King, John Mayer, Keb Mo’, Leon Russell, Sugarland, Jennifer Nettles, and many others. She has had music featured on television shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance,” and her four albums have been used by various dance companies throughout the United States.