How Frequently Should You be Getting Acupuncture?

According to the scientific research, dosage matters when it comes to acupuncture.


According to the analyses of 17,922 patients, an international group of medical researchers reported in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine that when it comes to utilizing acupuncture for the treatment of pain conditions, dosage really matters. Based on several different studies of various acupuncture techniques, including moxibustion and e-stim, each technique was effective at alleviating pain. However, better relief was obtained when more needles were used and when acupuncture sessions were more frequent.

One question that Del Mar acupuncture patients often ask is how often they need to receive treatments. While it’s common for many patients to come in for acupuncture once a week or less due to a busy work/life schedule, patients seeking to avoid surgery and get lifelong relief from chronic pain may need to get acupuncture more frequently for a few months. If you find that once a week acupuncture is not alleviating your pain for the entire week, you should definitely think about seeing your acupuncturist more frequently.

The next question that many patients ask when they hear this news is whether they will have to do this for the rest of their lives. Acupuncture promotes equilibrium and homeostasis in the body, and if you have been neglecting your health for a very long time or if you have a severe health condition, it will take longer to get your body back on track. You may need six months of acupuncture and an entire year of herbal therapy. When you begin to feel healthy and pain-free again, you won’t need to continue with treatment. Many patients choose to get acupuncture near Encinitas once a month as a method of maintaining wellness and preventing any flare-ups if they have a chronic condition.

Keep in mind that this meta-analysis focused on the treatment of pain with acupuncture only. Conditions that are not chronic and conditions that don’t involve a pain element may not require more needles or more frequent treatment. If you are seeking acupuncture for wellness, hormone balancing, acute nausea, a sinus infection, seasonal illness, etc., you may only need a couple of treatments and you’re well. Children tend to suffer from acute illnesses only lasting a few days, so oftentimes a child can have one acupuncture treatment and have immediate and lasting relief.

One rule of thumb for how long you will need to receive acupuncture treatments and/or herbal therapy is to think about when your condition began. If you started having knee pain six months ago, don’t expect one acupuncture treatment to “cure” it. You may require six months of consistent treatment, but you may be able to avoid knee surgery and all the complications that go with that.

Acupuncture Can Change Your Life in Positive Ways You Never Expected!

Acupuncture is more than simply a “quick fix” or a pain remedy. Here are the unexpected ways in which acupuncture can really change your life.

1. Acupuncture will help you manage stress in an effective way.

Everyone reacts a little differently to the therapeutic effects of acupuncture, but nearly everyone who tries acupuncture experiences a feeling of calm and ease that lasts even after the needles are taken out. Stress is not always a bad thing; it can challenge you and
help you reach new levels of success in your work and in your relationships. However, chronic stress can be toxic and cause you to feel frazzled if you aren’t able to manage it effectively. Regular acupuncture treatments can relax your body and mind, and allow you to deal with chronic stress in a productive way that doesn’t destroy your health.
 

2. Acupuncture can cause you to think in new ways.

Creative types love acupuncture because it helps them generate new ideas and new ways of solving problems. Have you ever noticed that some of your best ideas happen when you’re on vacation, in yoga class, in meditation, or in a completely relaxed state? Try acupuncture on a regular basis and you’ll experience new breakthroughs.

3. Acupuncture will give you more energy without making you feel “wired.”

Most people reach for coffee, tea, or soda when they need a “pick-me-up” to get them through the day. Then they feel too “wired” in the evenings when it’s time to go to bed! This creates an endless cycle of tiredness and sleep deprivation. Acupuncture, on the other hand, can give you an energy boost while also helping you sleep better at night. The more regularly you get acupuncture, the better your energy and your sleep cycle will be!

4. Acupuncture will clear your mind.

If you do mental/intellectual work all day, it can be difficult to shut off your mind. This creates the situation we all know as “brain drain” -- where you’re mentally drained and can’t think clearly even when you need to. Come get acupuncture in Del Mar, CA and it will give you the mental refreshment you so desperately need.

5. It will help you make better food choices.

When you’re getting acupuncture in Encinitas, CA regularly, your body and mind become more balanced, and you’re better able to “tune in” to your emotions and bodily sensations. You’ll become more aware of when you’re truly hungry, or if you’re just reaching for food out of boredom or emotional pain. When your body is craving carbohydrates, you’ll be more likely to prefer a nice piece of fruit instead of a vending machine snack. When your body is calling for fats, a big salad with nuts and a homemade olive oil dressing will seem more appealing than a pint of Haagen-Dazs®.

6. Acupuncture will help you believe in your power to heal.

If you’re dealing with a frustrating health condition, your belief and mindset around your ability to completely heal and be healthy again can make a huge difference in whether you heal or not. Acupuncture in Del Mar, CA will often produce some immediate gradual effects that will help you realize that you CAN get better!