If you’re curious about acupuncture and whether you should try it, you probably asked Google and got a lot of conflicting answers. On one hand, even in 2023 we have websites dedicated to “debunking” acupuncture, despite decades of peer reviewed research supporting acupuncture treatment for a number of common health problems. On the other hand, you will see lots of information touting acupuncture as a complete cure-all that can be relied on for anything, from plantar warts to metastasized tumors.🧐
We’ll start with what we see the most in the clinic - pain conditions. This is also one of the most studied areas of acupuncture research, so we have a lot of data to draw on in addition to our clinical experience.
📍 Research data over the last few decades supports acupuncture treatment for many pain conditions. We routinely see patients that were referred to us by orthopedists. For pain, from muscle knots to severe joint pain, acupuncture is a solid treatment tool - and one of the most inexpensive. Pain conditions are what I have the most confidence in acupuncture to successfully manage or even eliminate the issue.😮💨
📍Treatment usually involves an acupuncture session 1-3x weekly anywhere from 6-18 weeks in studies. That’s a pretty non-specific timeline, and you’re probably asking “what does that mean for me?”.
📍Here’s what we see in our clinical practice: It depends on whether you are healing from a recent injury or dealing with a chronic situation, and whether your pain situation is complicated by other health issues and lifestyle choices. A chronic pain situation takes more time, and won’t always completely go away; but it can improve enough to give someone their life back. It can majorly decrease or eliminate pain, and make walking, running and other physical activity accessible again. 🏃🏽♂️
📍If this is an acute situation, like getting banged up in a bike accident with only soft tissue (muscle, tendon and ligament) damage, I recommend giving it 6-8 sessions, coming 1-2 times weekly. The closer together you schedule your sessions, the .sooner you’ll see improvement. You may still need more sessions, but after 6-8 weeks we often draw the treatment frequency down and have you come every other week, or as needed if/when there is a pain flare up.
📍If you’re dealing with a longstanding pain issue, whether it’s degenerative, or an old injury that never quite healed right, you will probably need to come weekly for 8-12 weeks. This is not always the case, but have reasonable expectations on how long it will take to unwind complex long term issues. Considering and correcting other factors, like repetitive strain from bad posture at your work desk, or a poor diet that might be helping to fuel inflammation around the pain area will be key in getting the most improvement possible from treatment. Adding in other modalities like chiropractic care or physical therapy may necessary to address the full picture.❤️🩹
📍Ongoing repetitive strain like carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, ulnar nerve entrapment and thoracic outlet syndrome may not fully resolve if the cause (job, sports) isn’t removed or modified. But major improvements in pain and mobility can happen with consistent acupuncture. In these situations, treatment will be ongoing, though you can probably eventually reduce frequency to a few times a month after 8-12 weeks.
📍Remember, everyone is different! Some people see improvement faster or slower than others, even with the same condition or injury. These are our general observations with a collective thirty years of experience from our acupuncture team, and what research shows so far.
The bottom line:
Improvement is generally gradual, and putting too much time in between sessions in those first few weeks to months can absolutely unravel your progress. Over time, you can gradually put more time between your sessions. I’ve seen many patients who had to treat a long term condition aggressively for months, but then were able to take long breaks from acupuncture and only come in when they have flare ups a few times a year.🏝️
The types of pain that I see routinely improve or resolve include: Sciatica, TMJ disorders, neck, shoulder and back pain, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, migraine pain (especially if triggered by muscular tension), hip, knee and ankle pain, plantar fasciitis and osteoarthritis to name a few. 😮
if you still are unsure about trying acupuncture, you can email us and ask any questions about a specific pain issue, and we’ll give you our best recommendation for your individual situation.