6 Tips to Make Acupuncture Work for You
6 Tips to Make Acupuncture Work for You
You are coming to acupuncture for relief.
You want to feel better, like the vibrant, happy version of you. We want you to feel that way too!
(Eastern medicine was not our get-rich-quick scheme ;) ).
There are some key ways you can help our team effort to get you back to optimal health and wellness.
1. Patience pays off.
Chinese medicine is not a band-aid, like ibuprofen or antihistamines that manage symptoms. It is designed to rebalance your entire system and promote healing from deep within. We seek to cure the root of your problem, in addition to managing your symptoms, so your symptoms go away and you get lasting relief.
2. Once is not enough.
You might not feel any different right away. If you don’t feel anything after your first treatment, this doesn’t mean it isn’t working. Don’t give up! You don’t look perfectly toned after one workout, and your skinny jeans don’t fit after one healthy meal, but that doesn’t mean those weren’t choices that promoted your health overall.
3. Consistency is key.
Each treatment builds on the last and the momentum created is what helps keep your body in a state of restoration and repair. If you wait too long between treatments, especially in the beginning, you go right back to where you started. If you cannot afford to come as frequently as we have recommended, please let us know so we can work out a solution.
An example of a failed treatment plan:
You come in for back pain, it is at an 8/10 pain level. Acupuncture gives you about 24 hours of pain relief where you’re down to a 4/10. Pain creeps back up to an 8/10 after about a week. You come in two weeks later for a follow-up with your pain at the same level as you started. The process repeats. Each time you come in you get some temporary relief but there isn’t enough consistency of input with acupuncture to change the underlying pain pattern. You conclude that acupuncture didn’t work, or only helps temporarily.
An example of a successful treatment plan:
You come in for anxiety. It is a 7/10. After your treatment, anxiety is down to a 5/10. You come back 3 days later while your anxiety is still at a 5/10. After your second treatment, your anxiety drops to 4/10. You come back 5-6 days later. Your anxiety level is still hovering around a 4-5/10, but hasn’t gone back up to a 7. After your third treatment, your anxiety is down to a 3/10 and lasts for a full week at this level. You feel your anxiety is manageable at this level and you continue with weekly or monthly acupuncture for maintenance. We made acupuncture work for you.
4. Trust in the process.
It can be hard to decide to spend money on something totally new when there aren’t quick, observable results. We occasionally work some legit acu-magic, but in most cases, we are not going to be able to relieve your lifetime of asthma/migraines/low back pain/IBS in 1 or 2 sessions.
For acute conditions like an injury, this is rarely an issue, as it will respond within 3 treatments. For more chronic conditions, we encourage you to pay attention to subtle changes. Maybe you’re sleeping better, feeling less bloated, have more energy during the day, or feel better able to deal with stress at work. Sleeping better might mean you only woke up once a night the last week instead of twice.
These are real changes that may happen more quickly than your allergy symptoms or PMS disappearing. Acupuncture is deep, and profound when you stick with it. We will always be honest and let you know if we don’t feel like acupuncture will work for you or you are not making good progress, and refer you to someone who will be better able to help you.
5. Commit to healthy habits.
You will receive suggestions for things you can do to speed your results. There are ALWAYS things you can do to maximize the effectiveness of your treatments and feel better quicker. If you commit to:
6. Be hopeful!
Eastern and functional medicine often succeed where standard Western medicine has failed. You may feel like you’ve tried everything and will try anything, and that is how you ended up in our office. Maybe you are trying acupuncture before you do anything drastic like surgery or long-term medication. Your belief in your body’s ability to heal, and your willingness to let go of the identity and habits attached to the unwell version of you is foundational to a successful healing journey.