How many acupuncture treatments do I need? Just one, right?!
Just like any other medical treatment, acupuncture has dosing that is reflected in the frequency of treatments and the number of total treatments needed over time. And unfortunately, getting one treatment is not an adequate dose. In comparison, how often does one dose of a medication resolve your symptoms? Usually, never. But again, like other treatments, not getting an adequate number of acupuncture treatments or scheduling the treatments too far apart will not get you the results you are looking for.
In an acupuncture research editorial by Bauer et. al., an adequate dose of acupuncture treatment is defined as a minimum of six treatments, at least once per week where the needles were retained for at least 20 minutes, and there was sufficient needle sensation or stimulation during the treatment. Further research from this editorial revealed that treatment outcomes were significantly better when acupuncture was administered twice a week for a treatment course of 12 or more treatments. Their conclusion suggested that increased treatments are more therapeutic and yield better results.
What I’ve experienced in the clinic falls in line with this research. It has been my experience that acute conditions take less time to resolve than chronic ones. Acute conditions can take as few as 8-10 treatments, while chronic conditions could take upwards of 12-16 or more depending on the condition and how long it’s been a problem. Treatments are best clustered twice a week for the first 2-3 weeks and then tapering down as progress continues. Generally, patients will start to feel a shift in their symptoms after 4-6 treatments but feel more relief after additional, consistent treatment. Furthermore, progress is usually better when self-care at home accompanies the treatments.
Have more questions about acupuncture treatments for your condition? Feel free to reach out at 612-405-3775 (call or text) or drcarolynlaney@gmail.com
Reference:
Bauer, M., McDonald, J. L., & Saunders, N. (2020). Is acupuncture dose dependent? ramifications of acupuncture treatment dose within clinical practice and trials. Integrative Medicine Research, 9(1), 21–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imr.2020.01.003
