As an acupuncture practitioner, you might get questions from clients, especially those that are seeing you for the first time, about the benefits of acupuncture, how long they will have to wait until they start to feel the benefits, and how the treatment might affect them long-term. In this article, we go into more detail about the long-term benefits of acupuncture.
So, what are the long-term benefits of acupuncture? Some of the key long-term benefits of acupuncture include pain relief and pain management, improvements to mental health, improvements to sleep quality and, for some, a reduction in the reliance on western medication.
Read on to learn more about the long-term benefits of acupuncture.
What are the Long-Term Benefits of Acupuncture?
Many of the wide-ranging benefits of acupuncture can become long-term benefits with continued treatments. However, common long-term benefits tend to include pain relief and pain management, improvements in mental health, improvements in sleep quality, and improvements in musculoskeletal conditions, as well as reduced reliance on western medication for some clients.
Other benefits which have the potential to become long-term benefits of acupuncture include:
- Immune system support
- Energy boost
- Digestive support
- Improved sense of wellbeing
- Arthritis & Osteoarthritis
How Long Do the Benefits of Acupuncture Last For?
The effects of acupuncture can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks or even several months, but this differs from client to client and is dependent on both the condition that they are being treated for and the severity of their symptoms.
How long they have been undergoing acupuncture can also have an impact on how long the benefits of acupuncture last. Some clients find that once they start to see the benefits of acupuncture (experts recommend at least 5 acupuncture sessions to truly begin seeing the benefits), they simply need to seek treatment every few months to maintain the benefits long-term.
How Long Should Clients Continue Acupuncture For?
In order to maximise the potential benefits of acupuncture, experts recommend that clients have at least 5 sessions. For some, it can take a few acupuncture sessions before they begin to see the benefits, so it’s important to stress to your clients that not everyone sees immediate results.
We recommend suggesting to clients that they have 1 to 2 sessions per week for a few weeks to get the most out of acupuncture. From here you can assess their condition and make recommendations on how often they need acupuncture to maintain their benefits. Eventually, you may be able to recommend sporadic, or as-needed appointments.
How Can Clients Maximise Their Acupuncture Benefits?
To maximise the potential benefits and longevity of acupuncture, there are several recommendations that you can make to your clients:
Rest
After an acupuncture appointment, it’s important that clients rest and take it easy for a while. This means avoiding stressful situations and strenuous activity; instead, it would be beneficial to have an early night.
Keep Warm
Despite a lack of strong evidence, some practitioners recommend that clients keep warm after acupuncture as the body needs warmth to open up blocked energy channels. To help with this, it’s best if clients avoid cold temperatures, and refrain from using ice for pain relief. What’s more, some clients report feeling chilled after an appointment, which can continue throughout the day. Keeping warm may simply make the client feel more comfortable.
Consider Other Interventions
Whilst acupuncture is effective on its own, other interventions such as massage therapy, physiotherapy, chiropractic, manual therapy, exercise, and education could maximise clients’ outcomes, depending on their condition. When assessing their condition, also consider if another intervention, used in conjunction with acupuncture, could be beneficial.
Eat Well
After acupuncture, it is recommended that clients eat healthy foods to help promote the elimination of toxins from the body. Antioxidant-rich foods are great for this, and can be found in a wide variety of foods, not just blueberries:
- Blackberries
- Cranberries
- Pecans
- Artichoke
- Kale
- Spinach
- Ginger
- Kidney Beans
- Herbs such as Thyme, Basil, and Oregano
- Peppers
- Tomato
- Broccoli
- Green Tea
You can learn more about what to eat after acupuncture in our recent blog here.
Acupuncture Courses at Breeze Academy
At Breeze Academy, we ensure that our students walk away with all of the knowledge, skills, and confidence required to safely and effectively practise acupuncture. If you’re a healthcare professional interested in acupuncture, check out our range of acupuncture and dry needling courses online; we offer foundation level acupuncture courses, acupuncture for nurses and midwives, acupuncture for sporting injuries. We also offer acupuncture CPD courses, including acupuncture in women’s health, and acupuncture for headaches, neck, and facial pain.