One of the most common questions we receive is: how many acupuncture treatments will I need to get better?
As you might have guessed, the answer is dependent on your goals as a patient and the quality and severity of the condition(s) we are treating. Also, we might deconstruct the idea of what getting better looks like, including the notion of being cured, going into remission, or treating side effects that come from medications or surgeries for either a limited or ongoing period of time. Some conditions have pretty obvious recovery windows, and some are much more difficult to project into the future. As we’re living in the age of AI and google searches, we’re going to assume you’ve already looked at all of this easily obtainable information.
Many of our patients struggle with healing timelines, which is completely natural. We want to be better yesterday, and we’re sick and tired of hurting. Or, we’re facing a chronic condition that may or may not significantly improve, so we are faced with changing some of our worldview and even our perception of who we are when thinking about going forward in our lives. On top of that, we’re entering a health care market full of misinformation, high costs, aggressive marketing, and MLM schemes – to name a few.
However, before we can give any answer to the question, we have to establish a few points:
- Is the diagnosis already known? What kind of injury or disease is it? Do we have imaging, paperwork from referring providers, blood work, or other objective information that can confirm what the condition is? A TCM diagnosis is also a perfectly valid way of classifying a condition, but it is strengthened by other objective evidence.
- Is there any evidence that talks about the timeframe for recovery for your specific condition? Is there any evidence that talks about similar conditions? Is there a Western Medicine study that can be used to draw conclusions from?
- Do we have experience treating your condition(s), and based on previous cases, what could we estimate for you in terms of your own recovery?
- In classical or traditional Chinese Medicine, is there history in treating this condition, established through case studies, oral traditions, or other traditional texts?
From one vantage point, we can’t give any perfect response to how long any injury or condition will take to heal. Unfortunately, a lot of medicine is trial and error and making educated guesses about healing trajectories. Someone’s age, preexisting conditions, diet, socio-economic background, genetics, place of living, family and community relationships, and more are all factored into the equation. These are called the social determinants of health, and unfortunately they are typically ignored by most providers. Two people may respond very differently to the exact same treatment. In fact, just what zip code you live in can change your life expectancy in the USA.
For instance, if you significantly hurt your leg or foot, but must continue to work a job that continually re-aggravates the injury, you likely will heal more slowly than someone who could spend more time on their recovery. If you could take a week off to let the initial inflammation subside, get the proper treatments and medicines, and also afford rehab/PT, acupuncture, massages, etc. on a regular schedule, you might improve far more quickly than someone who gets acupuncture once a week for a few months. This is an unfortunate reality for many of us, so we completely understand that everyone is likely just trying their best, and we’re not here to shame you.
According to Acupuncture tradition and experience and some studies for various conditions:
- If you have an acute or extremely painful issue, you might need 2–4 visits a week or even daily until your condition calms down
- If you have a chronic injury, you might need 2–3 treatments a week for 1-2 months to see major improvement begin. We often find that combining acupuncture with Qigong or physical therapy can be more effective for musculoskeletal complaints. Your participation in exercises, lifestyle adjustments, and self-care practices can significantly impact the speed and quality of your healing. Acupuncture is a tool, but it works best when paired with active engagement in your recovery.
- If you have a mild or moderate issue, 1–2 treatments a week is typically sufficient until it resolves.
- For preventive or prophylactic treatment, either once a month or once a season (quarterly).
- If you’re looking for an improved quality of life, improved sleep, better mood/cognition, longevity effects, and more – acupuncture can be utilized at will, whenever you want.
And then, when someone in the acupuncture field isn’t completely sure how many treatments you’ll need, they will likely just say: 10. Why do they pick 10? Because 10 is a number used in some modern research studies on acupuncture, and it also creates a semi reasonable expectation that is greater than 1 treatment, but doesn’t feel like it will cost a prohibitive amount to try.
If we charge $40/return visit, we know that means it will cost you $400 to try an average course of treatment. Compared to many medical modalities out there, we find that to be completely reasonable, but if not, please speak with us, and we’re always willing to work with you.
Also, we are aware that many conditions have their own natural healing timelines without any intervention at all. 10 visits at 2* a week is 5 weeks of treatment. So, how do we know that it will be superior to just doing nothing at all? Our opinion on is that most of us have already tried that without great results, and the studies we’re aware of point to significant improvements when receiving acupuncture therapy. Delaying treatment can also carry greater risks of re-injury and complications. Our sleep, digestion, mental health and general sense of wellness all affect our recovery. So, even if the duration of a condition is self limiting overall, why not feel more at ease while you heal up?
We want to make sure that acupuncture is a good fit, you like it, and are a responder to it – if these three things are true, we typically think we can be helpful.
What doesn’t typically obtain results:
- If you are a non responder to acupuncture. You’ve tried a few practitioners and never obtained any results, and you have done at least one or two courses of treatment (10 or more). Keep in mind, there are non responders to nearly all forms of medicine out there.
- Getting acupuncture only 1 time. This is typically not enough to reach resolution on most conditions. Some people win the lottery, though, and we won’t discount this. If you were prescribed a medicine once, and it didn’t instantly help, would you determine the medicine didn’t work?
While acupuncture can reduce pain, improve sleep, and enhance overall wellness, it may not completely cure all conditions. Chronic or severe illnesses may require ongoing care or combination treatments. As we are believers in the scientific method and also in the traditional method of acupuncture, we aim to curate the experience to yield you the best outcomes with the least amount of financial burden.
Ultimately, how many acupuncture treatments you need depends on your unique condition, goals, and lifestyle. Our goal is to work with you to create a realistic plan that maximizes your healing potential while respecting your time and resources. We are also aware that we’re living in tough times – so we appreciate how difficult it can be to even get out of the house.
If you’re interested in learning more, or trying acupuncture out, check out one of our free acupuncture days, or schedule an appointment now.