How many acupuncture treatments are needed to see results?
Investing in your health and vitality with Acupuncture is one of the most empowering and self-illuminating choices you will make. It's an investment of time, space, and money. In a world driven by urgency and quick fixes, Acupuncture offers a refreshing antidote - inviting you to pause, breathe, rest, and rejuvenate at your own pace.
At Vessel Acupuncture, you will receive a clear treatment plan after your initial consultation. This plan outlines the number and frequency of treatments your practitioner expects will be needed to achieve lasting improvements in your well-being.
This treatment plan is based on several factors:
The best and most current research available
The clinical experience of your practitioner
Some general assumptions about how you might respond to treatment, based on:
How long the condition has been present
How you respond to treatments
How capable you are of implementing changes (this isn’t a moral judgment—sometimes there are things we simply cannot change)
Thousands of years of written guidance from the historical figures of Chinese Medicine (1).
This article will address common questions about committing to a course of Acupuncture treatment.
HOW MANY TREATMENTS BEFORE ACUPUNCTURE WORKS?
Often, you'll feel better during and immediately after your first treatment. Pay attention to how you feel in the days that follow and note any changes you experience. Typically, improvements last between 1 and 3 days after the first treatment.
Acupuncture is not a one-and-done approach to improving your health.
Lasting improvements require regular treatments, at certain frequencies over some time. Acupuncture provides a “cumulative therapeutic effect” - each session builds on the benefits of the previous one. This effect results from interactions between the body's major systems (nervous, endocrine, immune, reproductive, etc.) which lead to functional and structural changes in your physiology. Skipping or stopping treatments prematurely may prevent you from experiencing the full benefits that Acupuncture can offer.
ACUPUNCTURE IS DOSE-DEPENDENT
Think of Acupuncture like a prescribed medication: you wouldn't stop taking antibiotics halfway through the course just because you felt better after the first day. Similarly, for chronic conditions like epilepsy or anxiety, stopping medication because symptoms aren't present on a particular day is not recommended. We follow the prescription because it has been determined to be the best way to achieve results.
Acupuncture requires a similar commitment to the prescribed "dose" or frequency of treatments for optimal effectiveness.
WHAT DOES THE SCIENCE SAY ABOUT ACUPUNCTURE DOSAGE?
I’m glad you asked!
A 2022 meta-regression of 62 randomised controlled trials found that more Acupuncture sessions led to better results in reducing major depressive symptoms. The greatest improvement was seen after 36 sessions. Still, participants experienced a steady decline in depression scores from 8 sessions onward, showing that more frequent and consistent treatments significantly enhance the benefits of Acupuncture (2).
A small 2022 study of 40 participants found that Acupuncture has a cumulative effect on improving brain function in people with migraines. Repeated Acupuncture sessions progressively restored abnormal brain activity in areas linked to pain modulation, sensory processing, and cognitive functions. The changes in brain activity were linked to fewer and less severe migraines, demonstrating that Acupuncture's benefits increase with more sessions over time (3).
A 2017 meta-analysis of 17,922 patients from randomised trials found that the benefits of Acupuncture persisted for 12 months after a course of treatment ended. A course of treatment was considered between 8 and 15 treatments (4).
The operative words here are “course of treatment” not just one or two treatments.
The value of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine that sets it apart from conventional medicine, is that we are not just getting you out of acute distress. Helping you move away from acute distress might only take 3 treatments, but getting you to optimal health so that you don’t return to acute distress again - takes time and consistent treatment.
HOW DO I KNOW THAT ACUPUNCTURE IS HELPING? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ACUPUNCTURE?
Usually, within three treatments, you will notice improvements in sleep, energy, appetite, and mood. Even if these aren't your main areas of concern, they indicate that your nervous system is responding positively to treatment and that your overall health is improving. This is a sign that you're moving toward a state conducive to healing.
Acupuncture changes how the nervous system works, functionally, structurally and chemically - this takes time.
When it comes to your main complaint (the reason you sought treatment), you can expect the improvements you experience immediately after treatment to last a bit longer each time. For example, if you feel relief for two days after your first treatment, that may extend to three days, then four, and so on, until you notice improvements lasting a full week.
Once improvements last a full week, the frequency of treatments may be adjusted to every two weeks, then every three weeks, and eventually to monthly sessions or as needed.
WHAT IS THE FREQUENCY OF ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENTS? HOW FAR APART SHOULD ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENTS BE?
To ensure you receive an adequate dosage of Acupuncture to achieve lasting results, we will recommend a personalised course of treatment. This plan will specify the number of treatments and the frequency of your appointments. Typically, there will be an initial phase with treatments scheduled once or twice a week. This will be followed by a consolidation phase, where sessions may extend to every two to three weeks. Eventually, you will transition to a maintenance & prevention phase with monthly or seasonal sessions. We adjust the frequency if you experience a flare-up or develop a new condition.
It's important to note that much of the research on Acupuncture is conducted in healthcare settings where Acupuncture is more integrated, with patients often receiving 2 to 5 treatments per week, sometimes daily treatment - something that may not be feasible in all settings, like in Australia. This means that results might take longer with less frequent treatments.
HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE WORK?
Gosh, it’s special to practice a medicine that benefits not only from thousands of years of traditional guidance but also from modern research validating its efficacy. If you’d like to read more about it, check out our previous article here.
HAVE YOU TRIED ACUPUNCTURE?
Book online, or contact me to find out how I can support you.
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