How Often Do I Need Acupuncture?

Special thanks to Demetra Delia Markis of Yerba Buena Community Acupuncture in San Francisco for making this handy dandy chart. One of the first questions new patients ask is how often will I need to get acupuncture? This chart does a great job of explaining a general rule of thumb for treatments. Of course depending on what you are working on it may be different. Check with your acupuncturist to see what treatment plan makes the most sense for you. 

How often should I come in for treatment?

This will vary from person to person, and will likely vary

as the condition changes with treatment.

Here are some general guidelines, depending on what you are treating and what your goals are:

Being treated for:	Example of condition:	Treatment frequency:	For how long:
Very severe discomfort	Acute back sprain,  daily migraines	Daily until change in condition	For several days
Serious discomfort	Sprained ankle, acute digestive distress	Every other day until change in condition	A week or two
Moderate discomfort	Knee pain while running, poor sleep	Twice weekly until change in condition	Over several weeks
Working on a health milestone	Trying to get pregnant, overcoming allergies	Twice weekly until change in condition	Over several weeks
Ongoing episodic condition	Occasional insomnia; PMS	Weekly + as-needed for acute episodes	Over a few months
Support for chronic issues	Stress, work-related  issues, chronic illness	Weekly	Ongoing/as needed
General health	Life!	Weekly or bi-monthly	Ongoing/as needed

Sarah Zender LAc


Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)
230 Florence St 
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com