The number of treatment sessions needed depends on the condition being treated and how bad it is. Someone who has a chronic condition may need to be treated at least once, maybe twice a week. Possibly for several months.
When you arrive at the clinic, we will assess you and give you some idea of how quickly you can expect results. If your symptoms are mild or your condition is simple, it may be that you only need a few sessions. Should we determine that acupuncture is not going to help in your particular case, we will usually be able to offer you other treatment options.
Once you have decided what you want to do, we will book you the relevant appointments. After your treatment, you can expect to feel quite relaxed. A great way to make the most of this is to book your appointments so that you can go home and rest afterwards. You should certainly plan to do this after your first treatment or two to get the most out of them and to be able to assess the impact acupuncture has on you personally.
Later, most people opt to simply go back to work, do their shopping, and generally get on with their day as normal after their sessions. However, you should not plan to do anything too strenuous after having your treatment.
It is a good idea to drink plenty of water. This will help your body to flush away the toxins that can be released during your treatment sessions.
You may feel slightly sore at the point where the needles entered, and some people bruise a little. But it is usually extremely mild and within 24 hours you will not even know you have had acupuncture.
If you are at all bothered by this, we will usually be able to offer you laser therapy instead. But most people opt to continue with their full course of acupuncture treatments.