How many times will I need to come in?

Treatment Plans.

Acupuncture is not a one-off kind of treatment like injection therapy. It is more similar to other physical medicines like physical therapy and chiropractic. Therefore, we always recommend patients come in for a course of treatment to get the best results, then do a maintenance plan to help keep progress going long term. Think of it like going to the gym - it takes time to start seeing results and then takes effort to keep up those results over time.

If your issue is pretty new, then your treatment plan will be shorter (less work to do!). If you’ve had it a long time, then your treatment plan will be understandably longer.

Once you’ve achieved desired results, then you and your provider will determine your frequency for maintenance based on how well and easily your body responds to treatment. Treatment plans are broken into 3 phases:

1.) RELIEF CARE: 6 visits for acute issues (< 3mos since onset); 10 visits for chronic issues (>3mos since onset)

2.) CORRECTIVE CARE: 3 visit transition between relief care and maintenance (not necessary for all patients, as folks that respond quickly can incorporate corrective care into their relief care plan)

3.) MAINTENANCE: most patients will find that 1 visit per month works very well to keep their body balanced and aligned so that issues don’t return, however some will need more frequent maintenance for more serious issues that have greater affects on quality of life

So the overall answer is, everyone’s body is different, but it always clear by either 6 or 10 visits whether this is the right modality for you. No need to commit to 6 months of treatment, since almost everyone should respond to acupuncture within the first 3-5 weeks if coming in consistently twice per week and following their providers recommendations for home care.