How often, and for how long, do I need to get acupuncture treatments?

This is probably one of the most commonly raised questions when people enquire about Asian Medicine. As a society, we are so used to taking pills which can sometimes give us instant relief, but what we all already know is that often that relief comes with a price tag including: unpleasant side-effects, relief wearing off necessitating higher doses, ongoing drug costs, or simply not working at all.

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If only I had a crystal ball, I could see the progression of each patient when they walked in to the door! While I can't do that, I can look at many other factors that may come into play such as: How long has the ailment has been happening? What is the general health and age of the patient? How do (or don't) they take care of themselves in between visits - do they still want or need to continue an aggravating behavior? And so on.

To help give an idea of a course of treatment, here some general guidelines:

1. Although people can experience relief after just one visit, acupuncture is typically not a 'one and done' magic bullet. That is, in part, because your body is always changing and shifting.

   
   

2. There are, however, Phases of Treatment, which make acupuncture magical. Initial Phase: Depending on some of the above-mentioned factors, this 8-12+ week period is when the patient gets treated on a weekly basis. This is something I evaluate during a patient's Free Consultation or Initial Visit. It is also re-evaluated during every visit.

   During this period, we are working to retrain your energetic system to take new, healthier directions. The consistency of treatment is key to getting you out of your energetic patterns and ruts. Some people want to initially come in every-other week, instead of weekly, but the longer the time in between sessions, the easier it is for old patterns to take hold again. This means by the next visit, we have to backtrack. Ultimately the balancing and healing takes longer to take hold in your system. In the end, this either costs people more time or money, or they get frustrated and claim that acupuncture doesn't work. Please see my blog post called just that: Acupuncture Doesn't Work!, for more details.

   This phase can sometimes be shortened should the patient choose to include herbs and/or supplements into their treatment plan.

   Deepening Phase: With reduced or resolved symptoms, the Deepening Phase is a time for us to keep reminding your energy to stay on its new, healthier track. Treatments are first scheduled every-other-week, then every three weeks, then every four weeks, then every six weeks until the patient is ready for the next phase.

   Maintenance Phase: It is recommended that at a very minimum, patients come in for a Seasonal Tune-up five times per year at each change of the seasons - Summer, Late Summer (Indian Summer), Fall, Winter, and Spring. Many patients choose to come in at more frequent intervals to maintain optimal health and well-being.

   
   

3. This can also be considered a Preventative Phase as keeping your system strong and balanced can be a great way to ward off short- and long-term illnesses.

While it's true that acupuncture visits do cost money, we know that health = wealth! Feeling good in body, mind and spirit is priceless, and it can save money in the long run on prescription drugs, doctor's visits, lost time at work, not to mention how the cost of feeling bad takes its toll on relationships (to self and others), productivity and quality of life. In addition to trying to keep our fees comparatively reasonable, read more about what separates treatments with Angela from others you may come across here.

You may still be wondering: Will acupuncture help me? Acupuncture helps most people with most ailments; from help conceiving, to aiding people in their time of passing, to everything in between. For best results, it is important to stick to the Phases of Treatment, and any other recommendations made by your practitioner.

Thank you for reading this! Please schedule your free consultation, which includes a free mini-treatment, to get information specific to you and your health concerns.

Reach out to Angela at KatonahAcupuncture@gmail.com. You can also call/text: 917-494-7339.