Chronic pain affects over 20% of adults in the US, and many sufferers look to alternative medical treatments, such as acupuncture, as a way to relieve their pain. But how often should you receive acupuncture treatments to achieve optimal pain relief? Let our medical specialists tell you what you should know about this ancient form of medicine.
What Factors Determine Your Acupuncture Treatment Frequency?
The frequency of your acupuncture treatments will depend on your condition’s severity, type of pain, and your individual response to acupuncture.
If you have acute injuries or recent pain, you may need to have more frequent sessions initially; chronic sufferers, on the other hand, may want to take a gradual approach to the therapy. Your type of pain also matters—musculoskeletal pain might respond differently to acupuncture treatments than nerve pain or headaches would.
Additionally, some patients experience significant relief after just one or two sessions, while others need several treatments before noticing any improvement. Your overall health status, stress levels, and lifestyle habits can also influence your body’s response.
How Many Sessions Do You Need for Different Types of Pain?
For victims with chronic pain, you may want to consider a treatment plan that involves multiple sessions over several weeks. Fibromyalgia, arthritis, or long-standing back pain, all chronic conditions, typically require 1–2 sessions per week for 4–6 weeks, followed by a gradual reduction in frequency as symptoms improve.
If you suffer from acute or recent pain, however, we recommend 2–3 sessions per week for the first 2–3 weeks.
What Does a Typical Treatment Course Look Like?
A typical acupuncture treatment course follows a structured progression:
- The initial phase, often called the “relief care” phase, focuses on reducing pain intensity and frequency. This period lasts for about 4–8 weeks, with more frequent treatments.
- As a patient’s symptoms begin to improve, their treatment moves into the “corrective care” phase that lasts 4–12 weeks, with fewer visits per week.
- Finally, many patients transition to “maintenance care,” with treatments every 2–4 weeks or monthly to prevent symptom recurrence and maintain overall wellness.
How Can You Tell If Your Acupuncture Treatment Is Working?
You may feel an immediate and noticeable reduction in pain intensity or frequency following an acupuncture session or treatment plan, but some improvements often manifest in more subtle ways.
You may experience better sleep quality, increased energy levels, or a better mood—in fact, many acupuncture patients experience these systemic improvements before specific pain relief.
You might need to use less pain medication or notice shorter and less severe pain episodes. And even if your pain level does not change dramatically, you may find yourself coping with pain more easily.
What Happens After You Achieve Initial Pain Relief?
Once you achieve the significant pain relief that you need, you then need to maintain these improvements and prevent your episodes from flaring up again.
During this maintenance care phase, you will still need periodic treatments—perhaps monthly or every 6–8 weeks—depending on how well your body maintains the improvements between sessions. Remember that in addition to preventing flare-ups, maintenance care also helps support your overall health and well-being. Many patients continue periodic treatments because they value the stress reduction, improved sleep, and enhanced energy that acupuncture provides.
Finding the Right Treatment Frequency with Acupuncture for Pain Relief at Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine
If you suffer from chronic pain and want to explore acupuncture as a treatment option, trust our medical specialists at Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine to guide you through the process. Our team of experienced practitioners will create a personalized treatment plan that addresses your specific pain condition while considering your lifestyle, health goals, and individual response to acupuncture.
Call our East Meadow office at 516.268.0070 or our Great Neck office at 516.595.0096, or fill out our online intake form to schedule an appointment. Don’t let pain prevent you from living your best life. Reach out to us today.