How Do I Know Acupuncture Is Working?
Signs of acupuncture is working are simple: you are feeling better!
However, sometimes you may lose track or don’t know what to look for. The following are the most common signs indicate your acupuncture treatment is working.
Sign 1: Pain Relief
If you were in the acupuncture clinic for acute pain or sports injury, you may notice the pain relief almost instantly from the first treatment.
For chronic pain, it may take up to 2 or 3 sessions to notice the pain subside. Sometimes you notice your pain is moved to other areas of the body because when the worst pain is calmer, the secondary pain site will grab the attention.
If you have tried more than 2 weeks (4-6 sessions) and there have not been any noticeable improvements, most likely acupuncture won’t work for you.
Be aware that the pain relief from acupuncture often moves 3 steps forward and then 2 steps back. Regular acupuncture sessions are required to ensure momentum for a consistent pain relief treatment. The rule of thumb, daily acupuncture treatments are for acute pain or injuries. For chronic pain, alternating day sessions for 2-3 weeks would start a long-lasting pain relief.
While many people are astonished by how acupuncture can relieve their pain, they are even more surprised by the changes happening on the physical, emotional, and psychological levels.
Sign 2: Improved Sleep Pattern
The most common feedback I received from patients is that they have slept better after their first acupuncture: feeling tired thus going to bed earlier and waking up feeling more refreshed. But, it is also possible that you may still feel tired after 8+ hours of deep sleep. That is because your body would be switched to a supercharge mode which is similar to fast-charging your battery while having it turned off.
Sign 3: Eating Better
You may start feeling more hungry as well as enjoying your food better. Meanwhile, you may notice the satisfaction of eating a regular meal without craving sugar or feel bloated afterward. However, it is best if you don’t overeat as the reason your stomach is not within the capacity to take too much food.
Sign 4: Circulating Well
You start to feel warmer with your hands and feet and less cold and clammy. Somehow your body’s thermometer is better regulated which is less overheated with hot weather and tolerates the cold much easier. It may start in a subtle fashion which you would barely notice the change on a daily basis. But when you look back in a few weeks, you will notice those differences.
Sign 5: Elimination Properly
That includes two aspects. First, you start pooing well that it looks like a banana at least once a day and feel finished when the job is done. That is especially important for people with digestive issues, such as IBS, constipation, Cohn’s disease and diverticulosis. If you noticed these changes happened, be sure to tell your acupuncturist because these are the signs of your gut functioning properly again.
Second, you notice a more satisfying peeing that has adequate pressure for a strong urine stream, with a decent quantity. If you experienced frequent peeing and accidents of leaking before, it is a sense of being in control again.
Sign 6: Breathing Easy
If you frequently sighed or were out of breath before, you will notice more often you forget about breathing. The pattern of breathing getting more softly and deeply. Moreover, it is easier to do abdominal breathing if you pay attention to it.
Sign 7: A Sense of Emotional Wellbeing
It is the second most common sign I have noticed when patients start to respond to the treatment. The usual stress doesn’t get on your nerve as before, or you can let go much easier. In fact, many parents mentioned their kids are far less annoying or focusing on their job easier in the workplace…
In the beginning, the sense of wellbeing and experience of being at peace lasts for a few minutes or few hours only. Then, it gets longer as it continues with a consistent acupuncture energy reset.
Sign 8: Uneventful Menstruation
For women, another important sign of acupuncture is working is that there are fewer cramps before or during the period. There is also less PMS such as emotion swings and sugar cravings. Having a period for women becomes as uneventful as men grow their beards.
Once these signs have appeared, congratulations! Acupuncture is helping you to improve your body constitution besides relieving symptoms. If your goal of acupuncture treatment is not only to reduce pain but for staying a state of wellbeing (improved energy level, preventing illness, and maintain good immunity), 4 to 6 weekly sessions are recommended.
Besides receiving acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments, there are tools that can be done by yourself to regain these healthy signs. “The Energy Book” offers simple and practical self-help steps to help you to live healthily with full of energy.
