06/11/2026
Some people need only 1 treatment to fix their issues, but this wouldn’t be a typical outcome. As we’re working on nervous system regulation, and helping “re-route” nerve, pain, and communication pathways- the body needs time to adjust and re-learn. I often tell my patients that beginning TCM is like training a puppy- you have to keep reminding the body what you’re doing.
While some people experience dramatic shifts after a treatment or two, for many, it’s the subtle shifts that occur over time that point to the healing that’s taking place:
Better Sleep
Regular, smooth, bowel movements
Reducing Pain Meds
Easy Periods
Etc.
Sometimes patients come into my office saying, “I tried acupuncture once before and I thought for a couple of days it helped, but then - it didn’t.”
This is NORMAL. Acupuncture causes shifts in your body and often you need several treatments to move those shifts into a stable new norm.
*For some people, acupuncture makes symptoms worse for a few days! This is still a success because it indicates your body is moving things that were stuck! Your body might rebel for a bit, but once movement starts happening, the body can start healing.
In other words….
Don’t Give Up!!!
If you don’t see dramatic success in the first couple of treatments, it doesn‘t mean that acupuncutre isn’t for you. It might just mean that your body is working on deeper healing that will take some time to grow up to the surface!
