What to Expect During an Acupuncture Treatment

A common response to the idea of acupuncture is “I don’t like needles”. 

It’s completely understandable, because most people’s experience with needles is getting shots at the doctor’s office. And those HURT. Those needles are also 10x bigger than acupuncture needles. If acupuncture felt like getting 20 shots, I certainly would not be an acupuncturist today. Luckily, the needles we use are tiny. 0.15 mm diameter tiny. So tiny, that what I hear most in the treatment room is “I didn’t even feel that go in” (which, incidentally, is on the list of things you can say to your acupuncturist but not your partner). 

Here’s what actually happens, from start to finish.

First, we talk. 

If it’s your first treatment, we will spend about 30 minutes talking about your health and your body. We will cover a lot of ground, discussing everything from your sleep to your digestion. This provides me (your acupuncturist) with a big picture understanding of your pattern and where imbalances may lie. This is also a significant differentiator between acupuncture and dry needling. Whereas dry needling only treats the local area (You have jaw pain? Let’s put needles in your jaw), acupuncture seeks to understand the root of the problem and will treat both locally and distally (on your legs, your arms, etc), to bring your body back into balance. 

If you’ve already established care and this is a follow up visit, we will check in about the progress we are making and whether anything new has arisen for us to address together.

Second, you get comfortable on the treatment table and receive acupuncture. 

Depending on what we are treating, you lay face up, face down, or on your side, on a massage table for your treatment. Once you are comfortable, with pillows and bolsters as needed, I will place usually between 10-20 tiny needles in specific points all over your body. A typical treatment will include needles in your arms, legs, and head. Chest/abdomen and neck/back are also common locations. 

It generally takes fewer than 5 minutes to place all of the needles. Most, you won’t feel. Occasionally, you may feel a twinge, a tingly or achy sensation, or a feeling of awareness where the needle went in. If a stinging pain occurs, that means that a cutaneous nerve in the area became aware of the needle being inserted. Nothing is wrong, and the pain usually subsides within 30 seconds. If it doesn’t, we adjust it so it does not cause any pain. 

As the needles go in, you may start to feel a shift in your energy and a relaxation of your whole body. This is normal, as your parasympathetic nervous system is activated. 

Third, you rest and relax.

Once the needles are placed, you rest on the treatment table for 30-40 minutes. Acupuncture shifts you into a relaxing, parasympathetic state. It stimulates the release of endorphins and reduces stress chemicals like cortisol. Many patients find the experience so relaxing, they doze off. This has led to acupuncture being nicknamed “NAPupuncture”.  

Fourth, we complete the treatment. 

After the needles are removed (which takes about 1 minute), you get up, reset, prepare to transition back to your day. We may chat about next steps – an herbal formula to take, “homework” for the week (such as dietary recommendations, movement, rest, etc), and booking your next appointment. You go back into your day usually feeling better than when you came in and will likely get an excellent night’s sleep!

Fifth, schedule your ongoing care.

The peak effectiveness of your first treatment occurs in the 48 hours after the treatment. For this reason, it is recommended to come in twice a week for the first two weeks, before treatments are spaced out to weekly, and then to maintenance/as needed. Each patient will receive a tailored treatment plan for the issues they are coming in with. For acute issues, often 4-6  treatments is enough to completely resolve the issue. For chronic or more serious issues, 12 treatments is a good place to start, and we will re-evaluate down the road based on how you are responding to treatment. 

That’s it!

Ready to try it? Book your first appointment or schedule a free 15 minute consultation to see if acupuncture can help you.