Your acupuncturist is there to help you feel the best you can. That’s why it’s important to ask any questions that might come to mind, no matter how big or small they might seem.
You want to maintain a healthy and open dialogue with your acupuncturist. If they seem annoyed, or if they don’t want to answer questions, then it might be time to look for another practitioner. After all, you should feel good about the person who’s placing needles in your body!
What kind of treatment can I expect from you?
During your initial appointment, we’ll discuss your health issues and goals, and we will review a thorough intake form that you filled out prior to the visit. We’ll also ask questions about your present symptoms (location, sensation, quality, intensity, etc.) and about your medical history.
Your first acupuncture session usually lasts about 90 minutes. Follow-up visits are shorter and are timed to take place at approximately the same time each day or week. This timing is based on the fact that acupuncture treatments build upon each other over time. Treatments are usually given once or twice per week for acute conditions and less often for chronic ones.
We may also recommend dietary changes to help you achieve better health outcomes. You may also be asked to do some light therapeutic exercises at home or to meditate or rest more between sessions.
How Many Sessions Do I Need?
It depends what you’re trying to achieve. Some people feel better after their first acupuncture session, while others may need several before they see significant results. Most patients who seek acupuncture treatment do so for a chronic condition and often have “tried everything else.” It is important to remember that, in general, the longer you have had a condition, the more time it will take to heal. That’s why I like to say that “acupuncture is working, even when it feels like it isn’t.” If you are seeking treatment for an acute condition (a recent injury or illness), you may need fewer treatments than someone with a chronic problem.
The number of treatments also depends on your age (younger people heal more quickly than older ones), your overall health and lifestyle habits (diet, exercise and sleep), and how dedicated you are to doing any follow-up exercises or recommendations I give you between treatments. It can also depend on how well we work together as a team; some people respond well to my style of treatment, while others don’t. You are free to stop treatment at any time or change practitioners if you wish.
How long should I expect to see results?
Most patients will notice some improvement after the first treatment, but typically three to six treatments are required to notice significant results.
This is because every visit builds on the previous one. For example, you may have a headache at your first appointment, and maybe it’s much better after that treatment. But when you come back a week later, your body has had time to process what happened at your last appointment, and now you may have a different symptom emerge. Each treatment builds on the previous one, so the cumulative effect of several treatments is greater than each individual treatment.