Acupuncture: How Long do the Effects Last?

Acupuncture supports your mind and body systems so they can heal naturally. This treatment originated in Asia more than 2,000 years ago or earlier and is now a modern practice as an evidence-based, personal, and rational effective means of healthcare. Acupuncture is used by Western physicians, chiropractors, veterinarians, and other healthcare providers to treat a wide variety of conditions and symptoms.

How Long Will Effects From Acupuncture Treatment Last?

If you are suffering from a minor injury, you can experience relief from pain after one or a few treatments. Typically, a patient who has minor injuries chooses to have acupuncture treatments less frequently than those with major or chronic conditions. The effects of the treatment will depend on your symptoms and how they are affecting you. Medical history also plays a significator factor in the length of effects.

If your symptoms are intense, you may not experiences as long-lasting relief as someone with less severe symptoms. The reason for this difference is that intense pain usually requires more treatments and requires more work to relieve stored tension in the body.

Even though you may be suffering less severe pain, your body is going to need time to adapt to acupuncture treatments and the changes it will have on your health. Most people’s body needs to rebalance before they can respond to the treatments and provide you with results. It is difficult to determine an exact answer as to how long the effects of acupuncture treatments will last as they will vary on an individual basis.

Typically the effects of how long an acupuncture treatment will last depend on:

• Your age
• The symptoms you are experiencing
• The type and number of treatments you receive
  • Some patients receive their acupuncture treatments every week, others schedule treatments monthly. Acupuncture can also be done on an ‘as-needed’ basis. There has been no scientific research done to show acupuncture treatments can harm the body, so you can see a professional acupuncturist as often as needed, or as often as recommended. 

The effects can last for a few days, and some up to a couple of weeks.

Evidence Acupuncture Treatments Work

A study was done with 18,000 participants to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture. During the study, a team of international experts conducted 29 separate studies to learn how effective acupuncture was in relieving common forms of pain. During the study, some participants had an actual acupuncture treatment, some participants did not, and others had ‘sham’ acupuncture. The results of the study showed about fifty percent of patients, or participants experienced relief from pain through acupuncture treatment.

What You Can Expect From Your Initial Treatment

When you arrive for your initial treatment, the acupuncturist will review your medical history. They will discuss your level of pain, and learn what your health-related goals are for treatment. From this point, the acupuncturist will press on your vital organs, and look at your tongue to see if they can find the imbalance responsible for your pain.

The acupuncturist will need to place 10 to 20 hair-like, thin needles by hand along the meridian of your body. Your pulse will be taken, so they can feel your flow of energy. If there is any redness around where the needles have been inserted, it could be a sign you have an energy imbalance in that section of your body.

The needles will be left inserted for about fifteen to forty-five minutes depending on the technique being used and your desired result. After the treatment, you can continue with your normal routine for the day.

In Conclusion

Once you have begun an acupuncture treatment, you will have a better understanding of what your individual needs are and an estimate of how long each treatment will last. Each patient has unique needs and requirements for their treatment process. Talk to your acupuncturist to learn how long the effects of your treatments should last and how many your medical condition will require.