Pain is Like a Puppy

I'm sure a lot of you have heard me repeat the phrase "Pain is like a puppy". What do I mean by that? Pain is like a puppy that's gotten into a bad habit, say jumping up on the couch. You correct a bad behavior by holding it by the scruff and saying "down!". Using acupuncture,  we correct your body's bad habits by introducing a new pattern that we want to establish.

So, then what? Probably, the very first thing the puppy's going to do is try to jump back up on the couch! Obviously, we need to give the same message over and over for our message to be accepted.

The key to acupuncture and dog training is to be consistent. You wouldn't correct the puppy once and then despair that it's still jumping on the couch, would you? If you really want to change a habit, you might have to correct the behavior five or ten or twenty times. A lot depends on the character of the puppy and how long the pattern has existed.

Folks drive me crazy when they say: "I tried acupuncture for my back pain, but it didn't work."
I ask: "How many times did you go?"
They reply: "Twice."
I ask: "How long have you had it?"
They say: "Seven years."
To me that's the same as taking one dose of an antibiotic and then throwing the rest out because you still have your earache half an hour later!

Each puppy is different. I have friends with two puppies a Golden Retriever, Daisy, and a Springer Spaniel, Lindy. Daisy is incorrigible; she continues to jump up on the couch all day long. Yet Lindy is so eager to please, that she learned to stay off the couch right away. Some of your symptoms may be more like Daisy than Lindy. Similarly, some symptoms can vanish after just one treatment, others take a few treatments to start dissolving. So keep at it and good luck with your "puppies".

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Left Hand Community Acupuncture is located in the heart of Old Town Lafayette 
at the corner of Simpson St. and Michigan Ave. LHCA offers an affordable sliding 
scale of $25-$55. We do not ask for proof of income. You decide what you feel is 
fair to you and fair to us. We treat patients in a relaxed, group setting that promotes 
an atmosphere of healing. Caroline Adams is a Licensed 
Acupuncturist and nationally board certified. Acupuncture can help with a wide range of health 
issues including pain, stress, insomnia, arthritis, allergies, depression, headaches, 
fatigue, cold and flu, digestive issues, PMS, infertility and many other health concerns.

http://lefthandacu.com 

720-248-8626

How many treatments do I need? How often should I come in?

As acupuncturists, we hear these questions frequently.  The truth of the matter is "it depends".  There are so many factors and variables that this question is almost impossible to answer with certainty.  A general rule of thumb is it takes about 4-6 treatments to see a TRAJECTORY of improvement. 

In studies that come out of China, patients are typically going 5 times a week for two weeks and then are reevaluated.  That's 10 treatments in two weeks! That model doesn't work here in the United States for most patients as the cost and time required can be prohibitive. I tell my patients that acupuncture is like going to the gym to lose weight.  If don't need to lose much, you might go only once a month  (maintenance), but if you need to lose more you might want to go a few times a week (curative).

The following table is a general guide you can use for your situation.

Impact            Tx/week.          Reevaluate
10                        5                     1 week
8-9                       4                     1 week
6-7                       3                     2 weeks
3-5                       2                     2 weeks
1-2                       1                     2 weeks

Impact = how much the symptoms are affecting your life   -or- 
Impact = a measurement of pain

Other factors that contribute to longer or shorter treatment courses are perpetuating factors. These include patterns that produce or contribute to the imbalance and patient involvement. Is the condition is chronic or acute? The length of time you've been suffering with a condition plays a big roll. For every year you've had a problem, that's the number of months of treatment you will need before it gets resolved.

All of these variables influence the frequency and duration of treatments.  Because acupuncture treats the root cause of imbalance results can be subtle or slower than our fast paced lives expect, but the effects are typically longer lasting once the imbalance is corrected!

---

Left Hand Community Acupuncture is located in the heart of Old Town Lafayette 

at the corner of Simpson St. and Michigan Ave. LHCA offers an affordable sliding 

scale of $25-$55. We do not ask for proof of income. You decide what you feel is 

fair to you and fair to us. We treat patients in a relaxed, group setting that promotes 

an atmosphere of healing. Caroline Adams is a Licensed 

Acupuncturist and nationally board certified. Acupuncture can help with a wide range of health 

issues including pain, stress, insomnia, arthritis, allergies, depression, headaches, 

fatigue, cold and flu, digestive issues, PMS, infertility and many other health concerns.

http://lefthandacu.com 
720-248-8626