How To Get the Most Benefit From Your Acupuncture Treatment

Scientific studies show that some individuals seem to benefit from acupuncture more than others. In this article, we explain how you can get the most benefits from your acupuncture treatments. 

1. Wear Comfortable (Loose) Clothing

Unlike massage therapy, it’s not necessary to completely disrobe for an acupuncture treatment. Most people tend to feel most comfortable in loungewear, yoga pants, and other types of clothing made of natural fabrics that are soft to the touch and not tight anywhere on the body. If you show up to your acupuncture treatment wearing Spanx, pantyhose, a corset, and a zip-up dress, you will need to completely disrobe for your acupuncture session. Know this before your appointment so that if you’re uncomfortable completely disrobing, you can remember to bring some comfortable, loose clothing to change into when you arrive for your acupuncture in Del Mar, CA.

2. Do not drink caffeine before your acupuncture appointment, especially if you are getting acupuncture for the treatment of pain.

Research in the Journal of Chinese Medicine confirms that consuming caffeine prior to receiving acupuncture reversed the analgesic (pain-relieving) effect of acupuncture. There is some reason to believe that caffeine may inhibit other healing mechanisms of acupuncture as well. In order to get the most benefit from your acupuncture treatments, it would be a good idea to refrain from using caffeine prior to your treatment. A small amount of caffeine that may be present in decaffeinated coffee, decaffeinated tea, or chocolate is not enough caffeine to reduce the effects of acupuncture, so feel free to indulge in a square of dark chocolate and a cup of rooibos tea in La Jolla, CA before your acupuncture appointment!

3. Refrain from using pain-relieving over-the-counter medications prior to your acupuncture treatment.

If you are getting acupuncture for the treatment of a pain condition, you probably use an over-the-counter or prescription pain reliever throughout the day to alleviate the pain. Unfortunately, the chronic use of pain relieving medications can build up a tolerance in the body, causing you to need higher and higher amounts of the pain relieving substances to produce any effects. This can be a terrible experience for anyone dealing from chronic pain, whether it’s rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches, or an old injury that causes frequent, nagging pain. Among headache sufferers, daily usage of pain relievers can even lead to an increase in the number and severity of your headaches! That is reason enough to consider the alternatives to pain relieving drugs when you have a chronic pain condition. Discovering the underlying cause of the pain is a good first step. Trying acupuncture is another intelligent decision. However, it’s important to avoid using a pain reliever prior to your acupuncture appointment. Pain relieving medications, like caffeine, can inhibit the analgesic effects of acupuncture. Therefore, to get the most pain-relieving benefit from acupuncture, don’t pop a Tylenol before you go in for your appointment!