Acupuncture Doesn't Work!

Wait! What? Often times, either in my office, or socially, people will say to me: I tried acupuncture and it didn't work. When I press for details, I almost always reach the same conclusion; the person only went once and/or went with their own treatment plan instead of what was prescribed to them by their acupuncturist. In a recent blog, How often, and for how long, do I need to get acupuncture treatments? I talk about the general guidelines for a course of treatment.

I let patients know at the onset of treatments that acupuncture is not a 'one and done' approach. I would also say that it isn't a 'magic bullet', although for some people, it actually is! I wish that were the case for everyone, but for most adults a course of treatment needs to be followed. This isn't to say that acupuncture can't also be utilized much in the same way that an occasional massage would be - to relax and rejuvenate. However, if you are interested in healing your ailment and maximizing your time and money, read on to learn how to get the most out of your treatments.

With a typical course of treatment, you may or may not see an improvement in your chief health complaint - what finally got so bad that you sought acupuncture in the first place - right away. If not, the tendency is to notice changes in other aspects of their health. Let's say that someone comes in for constipation, but they also have trouble sleeping, lower back pain and anxiety. After three treatments, they report that they are calmer and have been sleeping better on some nights. They also say that their lower back pain is less intense and less frequent, but the constipation hasn't budged (pardon the pun!).

This information tells me that we are on the correct path of treatment and that your body decides how, and in what order, your health complaints will clear up. Patients should be observant of how they feel in between acupuncture sessions, and forthcoming with the changes that they notice. At times, a patient may come in and say that absolutely nothing has changed, but when I review their symptoms, check them with Asian medicine diagnostic methods and press for details, they are actually improving, but can be (oddly enough) reluctant to admit it.

Even though I let people know the recommended frequency of treatments (typically weekly initially) and the length of those initial treatments (typically 2-3 months), some choose not to follow my advice and make their own decisions about how often and for how long they will receive treatments. For example, there are patients who want to come every-other-week instead of weekly. What I try to stress to them is that they are slowing down, even impeding the long-term success of their treatments. By coming every-other-week, it will take longer and ultimately cost more, and most importantly not be frequent enough to take hold of the persistent old patterns of energy that exist in their being.

Some want to dial back the frequency before the initial course of treatment is completed. This can halt, or stymie improvements that have already been obtained. Can relief be had in just a treatment or two? Absolutely, headway can be made with your condition, but may not be enough to cure or have long-term effects. While patients are free to discontinue treatment at any time, it is important to note that the underlying causes may not have had the chance to be fully addressed. Drawing from my experience with Asian Medicine's diagnostic tools (which I will discuss in a future blog post), prematurely stopping treatments increases the chances of symptoms returning. In this case, patients will say "treatment worked for a little while, but then it came back". Unfortunately, the return of symptoms can sometimes be more challenging to shift.

I understand that everyone would prefer a guarantee... yet acupuncture helps most people with most conditions most of the time IF you are willing to stay the recommended course. Clinically, I have about a 95% success rate for people who follow the suggested guidelines.

What if you are following the treatment plan and are experiencing no improvement? Meaning that you can honestly say that absolutely nothing about your health has changed since you started treatment. And, that you are not saying: I feel better for a day or two and then it comes back. And you are also not saying that other complaints are improving (these are markers that we are on the right track). And, if based on my own diagnostic methods, I am not observing the change that I would have anticipated a certain stage of treatment, that is point when I will let a patient know that I have tried all of the tools in my toolbox and for some reason (there are still some mysteries in the universe) it isn't working. If I suspect that acupuncture may not be effective for a patient, I will let relay that to them prior to the completion of the full course of treatment. At that point, they can decide whether to continue, because some ailments are more stubborn, there may indeed be a shift by completing the recommended course of treatment.

Therefore, when people say that they tried acupuncture and it didn't work, I can't help but wonder whether they followed the course of treatment that their acupuncturist recommended to them based on the practitioner's three - four years and thousands of hours of schooling, along with their clinical observations. Or, if perhaps they had acupuncture performed by someone who did not receive a Master's Degree in acupuncture such as a physical therapist, chiropractor or even an MD? All of who may be practicing illegally, and/or who may be able to practice without a thorough training in Asian medicine. 'Dry Needling', which does not have its roots in Traditional Asian Medicine also falls into this category and is illegal in New York state!

Does acupuncture work? You bet it does. I can say this without hesitation based on my own 35+ years' experience as a patient, and 20+ years as a practitioner. I also base it on the fact that acupuncture has hundreds of years of documented success leading back to the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, published during this period, laid down the principles of acupuncture that form its modern practices.

From now on, when you hear 'Acupuncture Doesn't Work', hopefully you will take that with a large grain of salt. Or at least know the right questions to ask: Was it from a Licensed Acupuncturist? How often did you go for treatments? How many treatments did you have? Did anything improve while you were getting treatments?

If you are spreading this rumor, please stop so that others can confidently pursue a healing modality that could very well save them years of ill-health, unnecessary medical procedures or psychological suffering.

I would love the opportunity to debunk the myth that acupuncture doesn't work. Reach out to me and come in for a free consultation to learn what acupuncture can do for you, and about your recommended course of treatment. Thank you for reading! katonahacupuncture@gmail.com