How to Get the Most Out of Your Acupuncture Treatment 

So, you are going to your acupuncturist for, let’s say, insomnia for the sake of this discussion. It could really be any ailment: pain, infertility, digestive issues, migraines, etc. You noticed an improvement after the first few sessions and you figure you’re really going to give this a shot and see if you can finally put the problem behind you. As you continue with treatment, you should be able to decrease the frequency of visits and maintain if not continue the improvement. But every time you try this, your symptoms come back or you keep going one step forward and then two steps back. You become frustrated and discontinue treatment. This is no good for anyone. You don’t get the treatment you need for your problem and you don’t shout your acupuncturists name to the hills singing their praises and telling anyone who will listen that they must try this! So how can you get the treatments to last longer. How can you get continued improvement? How can you get to the point that you only need “tune ups”, say once a month? Listen to your acupuncturist of course!

Tongue firmly in cheek here but acupuncturists have been trained in Oriental dietary therapy, lifestyle modifications and exercise among other things. Along with your acupuncture and herbal treatments, your acupuncturist may provide you with some modifications in one of these areas that will potentiate your treatment, making the treatments more effective and longer lasting. This will allow you to move to a maintenance and wellness phase of treatment more quickly and with better results. This is THE most difficult part of a treatment plan. Laying on a table, getting your zen on while you listen to some relaxing music at your acupuncturists office? That’s easy! Heck, I get folks who ask if they can just lay and rest for another half hour! Implementing changes in your life is much harder.

So why does this make such a significant difference? I love car analogies so I’m going to use one here. Your car is not running right. You take it to your mechanic and ask them to fix it. They do, it is running like new. You hop in your car and proceed to drive a hundred miles an hour, over potholes, slamming on the brakes and skidding to a stop at every turn. Basically, you take it out and beat the “bleep” out of it. So, when it is not running right again, you take it back to your mechanic and say, “Fix it right this time!” Hmmm, is it really your mechanics fault and how does this apply to acupuncture? So here you are with your insomnia. You go to your acupuncturist and things improve. But you continue to drink three cups of coffee a day, your stress level at work is off the charts, you don’t have time to get to the gym and your home life is chaos. Basically, you are beating the bleep out of yourself! What is the likely outcome? Either continual treatments just to keep you going or, more likely, you stop going for treatment. Implementing suggested lifestyle changes will provide you with longer lasting relief, a move to a maintenance schedule much sooner AND save you money!!

You can continue to pay your acupuncturist to “keep you on the road” or you can get the most out of your treatment by making a few changes. At Princeton Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, we provide a comprehensive intake and evaluation for every patient so that we can make suggestions that will make a difference and ones you can live with. Call us today to see how we can help you or book your appointment below.