When you have a symptom that you are frustrated with, you want relief right away. Who wouldn’t? As an acupuncturist, that is a frequent question: How many treatments will I need? Here are some things to keep in mind as you begin to explore your own path to healing.

How long you have had the symptom? Dealing with a chronic condition of any sort can get very old, very quickly. You start to feel like the pain will never, ever end. People may feel the intense control their condition has on their comfort, quality of living and happiness. With acupuncture, each treatment builds on the next. When you start you may not feel a shift in your main complaint right away and that can be disappointing. Keep in mind that acupuncture’s process works at both the root level and the symptom level. Both are shifting at different speeds. You may find that your excruciating back pain is about the same level after one treatment but your bowel movements are more regular or your sleep is better. This seemingly small shift in symptoms is an indication that things are working. The process of healing is starting!

Each treatment is like chipping away (the needling) at a large iceberg (your condition). Every treatment the iceberg is getting some of its body removed. From a distance, it may look like nothing is happening, but on the iceberg’s surface things are changing and the enormity of the iceberg is being diminished.

How long will it take to feel relief? When coming in for treatment, think of acupuncture like starting the gym. You go in, maybe on January 1st, excited to start the potentially long journey to being as buff and healthy as you can be. Acupuncture is the same. Your first treatment you should feel relaxed, may see a shift in symptoms that day and you may even notice that you are more aware of how your body operates on a regular basis. This is all good! But as you walked into the gym on the first of the year, you knew when you walked out you would not have reached your goal after just one workout. Health and healthy living is not a destination. It’s a continuous journey that needs alterations and adjustments. Your eating habits in college may not be enough to keep you going as a middle-aged parent. That’s ok too! Life is about change and adaptation. Just like acupuncture.

Can I take my prescription while receiving acupuncture treatments? Absolutely!Western medicine is an essential tool for many people. Medication allows people to live comfortably and happily. Something to keep in mind is that acupuncture is not a pill or something that offers relief in the same way as medicine. Acupuncture should not replace prescription medicine that patients are taking. It is safe and should be done with your necessary prescriptions unless otherwise noted by your primary care physician.

What else affects my health? Another thing to consider in your progress is your lifestyle. How much movement do you incorporate into your day? What is your overall emotional wellbeing? Do you love what you do for work? Do you have things you are passionate about? These pieces of your life all work together to create health in your day to day. Acupuncture works with your body and your habits. Healing is a process that brings together all the aspects of your life: what you do with your body and what you do to your body. Seeing what triggers your symptoms is helpful and is useful information whether its what causes your stress or how much sleep you get. Occasionally symptoms are an alert system for your body to let you know that something needs a little support in your body.

You can do it! Acupuncture can be a quick fix for some people. It can be a process for others. Both quick and slow responses are not an indication of whether acupuncture works better for some people and not other folks. It just means that for where you are now, you may or may not need a little more support.

When renovating a house, some need a little more work than others. All need a good, solid foundation. So whatever you do in your day, remember that you are on the road to healing. It may be a full gut of a job or it could be a quick updating. Either way, you are worth the effort and time!