How much do I have to commit to treatment so that I can see results?

This is a question that comes up often and it is best to think of this in terms of a metaphor. When you boil water, the stove takes a little while to heat up. When you first turn the heat on, you don’t really see anything happening in the pot even though you know the water is warming up. After a few minutes, you begin to see some bubbles and movement in the water. When the water reaches boiling point you see a lot of movement in the water and steam coming out of the pot. 

This process of boiling water is a lot like acupuncture treatments and your body. In the beginning it is important to consistently go to treatments. Of course the frequency of treatments depends on each person’s condition and situation but the average first course of treatment is 2-3x a week for 6-8 weeks. This is usually the amount of time that is needed to accumulate benefits by restoring your body’s energy system. After this first course of treatment, we will discuss if you need another course of treatment. This depends on how you are feeling and if your health goals are met at this time. 

Going back to the metaphor, acupuncture would be the heat from the stove, helping your body’s own healing abilities begin. Just as the water in the pot warms up, you may not notice much in the beginning even though your body is accumulating a lot of energy and benefits. And just like the very end of the process of boiling water, you will see a significant amount of benefit because of the consistent heat or acupuncture treatments. 

If you were to try to boil a pot of water by constantly turning the stove on and off, it might get a little warm but overall this would be useless. Not enough energy would be accumulated in order for the water to boil. This is just like the frequency of acupuncture visits. If you go every once in a while, you will see a little bit of benefit but committing to a frequent and consistent treatment plan in the beginning will help your body’s healing abilities really get started and acquire the most benefits.