The question of how many treatments are needed can be a difficult one to answer exactly as individual experiences are so varied and dependent on numerous factors such as diagnosis, severity and duration of illness, other ongoing treatments, illnesses and lifestyle factors, and your particular treatment goals. With all this going on at the same time individuals responses can vary. If you are attending regularly, you should be making gradual progress, it doesn't happen suddenly later on. We will draw on our experience and the available research to recommend a trial period and evaluation, but we frequently we suggest up to 4 treatments before a review of goals.
At your first treatment we will ask you for your treatment goals and expectations then we begin by agreeing a goal with you drawing on our training, clinical experience and the available evidence base. We will tell you if we think it is/is not realistic to expect acupuncture to help. We usually suggest 3-4 weekly treatments initially, then together we can re-evaluate a treatment goal. Many practices encourage twice weekly treatments to begin with. We recognise that this is difficult for many people and we do not generally request this. If it does not suit to attend weekly we will work with you. You can add acupuncture to some other therapies where appropriate (e.g. physiotherapy) but we recommend leaving at least a couple of days or so between appointments.
While it is unusual for chronic conditions to resolve altogether in one or two treatments, sometimes symptoms are alleviated surprisingly quickly, but there can also sometimes be a temporary aggravation of symptoms, a little more soreness, which should progress to a better response in a day or so. Please let your practitioner know so that 'dose' can be adjusted to suit you.
The highly reputable British Acupuncture Council suggests 5-6 treatments spacing out as you respond. See more here:
https://acupuncture.org.uk/about-acupuncture/#
A survey of 180 acupuncturists in 2018 established a very interesting consensus on the question of "how many treatments?" for several conditons.
Author: Emma Van Loock (reviewed 2022)
At your first treatment we will ask you for your treatment goals and expectations then we begin by agreeing a goal with you drawing on our training, clinical experience and the available evidence base. We will tell you if we think it is/is not realistic to expect acupuncture to help. We usually suggest 3-4 weekly treatments initially, then together we can re-evaluate a treatment goal. Many practices encourage twice weekly treatments to begin with. We recognise that this is difficult for many people and we do not generally request this. If it does not suit to attend weekly we will work with you. You can add acupuncture to some other therapies where appropriate (e.g. physiotherapy) but we recommend leaving at least a couple of days or so between appointments.
While it is unusual for chronic conditions to resolve altogether in one or two treatments, sometimes symptoms are alleviated surprisingly quickly, but there can also sometimes be a temporary aggravation of symptoms, a little more soreness, which should progress to a better response in a day or so. Please let your practitioner know so that 'dose' can be adjusted to suit you.
The highly reputable British Acupuncture Council suggests 5-6 treatments spacing out as you respond. See more here:
https://acupuncture.org.uk/about-acupuncture/#
A survey of 180 acupuncturists in 2018 established a very interesting consensus on the question of "how many treatments?" for several conditons.
Author: Emma Van Loock (reviewed 2022)
Belfast Community Acupuncture: Ormeau Road and Belfast City Centre Emma 07800-906-813 and Mary 07505-371-535