While I hate to say it depends, it does. Factors ranging from the type of wellness issue that needs to be addressed as well as the severity of the disorder all play a large part in any attempt to address health and wellness.
What determine if you get results from acupuncture and how long it will take to see signs of improvement is always on the forefront of a medical professionals mind.
There are certain conditions that respond well to acupuncture namely:
Pain Conditions
Muscular skeletal, nerve pain, premenstrual cramping or headaches.
Anxiety
Stress related issues, severe anxiety, mild to moderate depression.
Sleep Disorders
Insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, waking in the night, waking too early, waking exhausted.
Gastrointestinal Conditions
Including gas, bloating, cramping, constipation or diarrhea
Fertility & Infertility
IVF related, Unassisted Conception and Issues related to carrying a baby to term.
Hormone Fluctuation
PMS symptoms, breast tenderness, emotional changes, menopause & hot flashes.
There are conditions that acupuncture does not have a high rate of success like: skin conditions and tinnitus.
That said, if you have one the the conditions that generally responds well to acupuncture, your age and how long you’ve had the condition will determine how fast you will get relief. For example, a 60 year old woman who has had back pain for a decade years will respond slower than a 18 year old who threw her back out at soccer practice.
My rule of thumb is that is if a patient starts seeing some improvement after 3 treatments, we continue treatment. if not, then I refer out to someone who might better help my patient.
The last consideration happens to lie in the talent of your acupuncturist and or his or her special area of expertise. While I focus almost exclusively on OBGYN cases, to be completely frank, I am not skilled at alleviating joint pain and in this instance I refer patients to specialists that I trust. Cheng Xiao Ming in Brookline, Mass is one example. He is highly skilled and especially adept at treating muscular skeletal pain. So choosing acupuncturist that specializes in your ailment makes a huge difference in outcome.
Feel free to leave a comment below, I would love to hear your thoughts.
