How Often Should You Get Acupuncture? (And How Many Sessions You'll Need)

Q: How many acupuncture sessions does it take to heal back pain?

- If there is a structural issue involved, for example a disc herniation, expect a minimum of 8 treatments. If it is only a soft tissue injury (such as a strain of the paraspinal muscles), usually 4 treatments will heal the tissue and relieve pain. - If the back pain is acute, starting in the last two weeks, it will take fewer sessions to heal than if it is chronic, which usually signals deeper issues that take longer to address.

Q: How many acupuncture sessions does it take to treat insomnia?

- How many acupuncture sessions it takes to treat insomnia depends on if it is chronic (several years) or more recent, complicating environmental and life factors (does your place of sleep have unexpected noises, is your sleep schedule off due to work, etc), and compliance with your acupuncturist’s herbal and lifestyle recommendations. - For example, if you stay up until 4am doom scrolling on your phone, your acupuncturist may recommend leaving your phone outside of your bedroom after 10pm, and incorporating practices to wind down your energy. Not following these recommendations will make it more difficult to treat your insomnia. - Similarly, Chinese herbal medicine can be instrumental to addressing the root cause of your insomnia. Following your acupuncturist’s instructions to regularly take the recommended herbal supplements will shorten the number of visits needed to treat insomnia.

Q: Are Chinese herbs safe?

- Yes. In most cases Chinese herbs are incredibly safe. They have been tested and used clinically for 2,500 years both as single herbs and in various combined formulas. When prescribed by a trained practitioner, Chinese herbs can greatly support acupuncture treatment by addressing the root cause of an issue, whether pain, sleep issues, digestive problems, etc. - The only two areas where Chinese herbs must be used with caution are in pregnancy and when a patient is taking blood thinners. Trained practitioners understand how herbal treatment must be adjusted in these cases and will ensure herbal treatment is tailored to be safe and effective for these patients.

Isabelle D'Arcy

11 minutes ago

4 min read

Understandably, people want to know how many acupuncture sessions it will take to recover from the issues they are facing. Are you in for one session, or 40 sessions? Should you sign up for a lifetime membership now?

As is so often the case, the number of sessions required to treat an issue depends on what it is, how long you’ve had it, and how you personally respond to treatment.

The first person I ever treated as a third year acupuncture student came in with knee pain six months post knee-replacement. One treatment is all it took for his pain to resolve. This can happen, but is not common.

Here are some guidelines to determining how many acupuncture sessions you may need.

How Often Should You Get Acupuncture? How Long Does Acupuncture Take to Work? Acute vs. Chronic Issues

Treating a sore neck from sleeping wrong last night is much easier than treating digestive issues you’ve had for 20 years.

If you have an acute (< 2 weeks old) issue, I recommend 1-4 treatments, starting with 2x/week.
If you have an issue that started in the last 6 months, I recommend 8 weekly treatments.
If you have a chronic issue, I recommend 12 weekly treatments to start.

For the treatment of infertility, it is recommended to get acupuncture weekly until pregnancy is achieved. This can take six months at times, depending on the complexity of the situation.

For autoimmune disorders, many patients find that ongoing care, such as monthly treatment, can help their bodies stay in a non-reactive state and find their symptoms are greatly minimized.

In each case, we will re-evaluate as treatment progresses and we see your improvement.

Do Chinese Herbs Speed Things Up?

Depending on the issue, in many cases Chinese herbs can accelerate progress. This is especially true for internal issues such as digestive issues or insomnia.

For pain and injury recovery, Chinese herbs can also accelerate treatment though acupuncture alone is sufficient and effective.

Are You Perpetuating the Cause of the Issue?

If you want to improve your sleep but stay up until 2am scrolling or you want your hamstring to stop hurting but you continue to engage in physical activities that exacerbate the pain, acupuncture treatment will be like one step forward, one step back. We may still make progress, but it will be significantly slower.

In my practice, I often counsel clients on dietary, lifestyle, and herbal recommendations that support our treatment goals. Compliance and the rate of progress are intertwined and patient-dependent.

Is Anything Else Going On?

Patients come in with one primary issue they want support with. However we often uncover a complex pattern underlying and contributing to the issue. Sometimes, something that may seem simple to treat (and may be simple in other cases) can take more acupuncture sessions because we are working through layers of deficiency and stagnation from a lifetime of choices and experiences that relate to the primary issue.

Though this may take longer, through acupuncture we are helping you have a better, more resilient foundation to your overall health. Many patients find that though they came in for one thing, many other health issues get better.

What to Expect From Your Treatment Plan

At your first acupuncture appointment, your acupuncturist will conduct a thorough intake and put you on a treatment plan, which includes how many sessions they recommend with what frequency. If they do not put you on a treatment plan, ask them what they expect based on their experience and your particular case.

At Blue Jay Acupuncture in South Denver, I provide every patient with a treatment plan at the first visit so they know what to expect, including that the plan may change based on how they respond in the initial sessions. I also offer treatment packages, where patients can purchase 4, 8, 12 or monthly treatments at a discount.

If you have a question about how many sessions your specific issue may take to resolve, feel free to schedule a free consultation with me.

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FAQ

How many acupuncture sessions does it take to heal back pain?

If there is a structural issue involved, for example a disc herniation, expect a minimum of 8 treatments. If it is only a soft tissue injury (such as a strain of the paraspinal muscles), usually 4 treatments will heal the tissue and relieve pain.
If the back pain is acute, starting in the last two weeks, it will take fewer sessions to heal than if it is chronic, which usually signals deeper issues that take longer to address.

How many acupuncture sessions does it take to treat insomnia?

How many acupuncture sessions it takes to treat insomnia depends on if it is chronic (several years) or more recent, complicating environmental and life factors (does your place of sleep have unexpected noises, is your sleep schedule off due to work, etc), and compliance with your acupuncturist’s herbal and lifestyle recommendations.
For example, if you stay up until 4am doom scrolling on your phone, your acupuncturist may recommend leaving your phone outside of your bedroom after 10pm, and incorporating practices to wind down your energy. Not following these recommendations will make it more difficult to treat your insomnia.
Similarly, Chinese herbal medicine can be instrumental to addressing the root cause of your insomnia. Following your acupuncturist’s instructions to regularly take the recommended herbal supplements will shorten the number of visits needed to treat insomnia.

Are Chinese herbs safe?

Yes. In most cases Chinese herbs are incredibly safe. They have been tested and used clinically for 2,500 years both as single herbs and in various combined formulas. When prescribed by a trained practitioner, Chinese herbs can greatly support acupuncture treatment by addressing the root cause of an issue, whether pain, sleep issues, digestive problems, etc.
The only two areas where Chinese herbs must be used with caution are in pregnancy and when a patient is taking blood thinners. Trained practitioners understand how herbal treatment must be adjusted in these cases and will ensure herbal treatment is tailored to be safe and effective for these patients.

Blue Jay Acupuncture is an acupuncture clinic in Denver, Colorado. Acupuncturist Isabelle D’Arcy uses acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and other Chinese medical modalities to treat a range of health issues including pain and injury recovery, sleep issues, women’s health, digestive problems, fatigue and stress. Book a free consultation or first appointment.