When is the Best Time to Get Acupuncture for Treatment?

Acupuncture is an ancient form of traditional medicine that has been honed and refined over thousands of years of practice originating in China. Acupuncture has many proven benefits and applications, including as a supplementary method for stress reduction. Did you know it can also help treat physical pain, immobility, and other challenges within the body?

At Triumph Physio, we understand the value of acupuncture as a complete medical treatment that can help address imbalances within the body, helping to greatly reduce chronic pain and similar health conditions that come from a variety of sources. In this guide, we’ll be focusing on the timing of acupuncture, explaining when to give it a try as a method of treatment. Let’s have a look.

What Can Acupuncture Help Treat?

Before getting into the best time to receive acupuncture, we’ll need to go over the many conditions it can be used to treat or otherwise address. Different practitioners use various methods to address a wide array of concerns, but there are a few that are more common. Here at Triumph Physio, our licensed acupuncturist has had great success using customized acupuncture treatment plans to help people with issues such as:

• Sports injuries

• Fibromyalgia

• Arthritis

• Carpal tunnel

• Tendinitis

• Chronic back, knee, or joint pain

• Dizziness and vertigo

• Chronic headaches

• Anxiety and depression

• And much more

Of course, the best time to begin with acupuncture can vary depending on the health challenge you’re facing and its severity and impact on your overall well-being.

How Does Acupuncture Help?

As with most forms of traditional medicine, acupuncture has been the subject of extremely rigorous study to determine whether or not it’s effective. After literally thousands of scientific, peer-reviewed studies, we’ve come to understand just how powerful it can be as a tool for healing and recovery.

While acupuncture is not a cure-all, it’s been shown to be effective at reducing pain, stiffness, and stress. These effects are useful for a huge variety of physical concerns and challenges. 

The process of acupuncture involves the insertion of tiny needles into certain areas of the body. The purpose of this process is to target extremely specific parts of the skin that are rich in nerve endings. Though the insertion is not painful, it sends enough of a signal to the body that it must respond to the stimulus. Depending on where the needles are used, this can trigger several responses from the body, including: 

• Increased immune function

• The promotion of blood circulation to the area

• Speeding up the wound-healing process

• Pain reduction or modulation

There’s another side to acupuncture, which concerns the body’s energy balance. Traditionally, acupuncturists believed that the body was filled with a life-giving essence known as Qi (pronounced as ‘chee’). The philosophy is that healthy, properly-flowing Qi would result in a person with a healthy body and mind. However, when the flow of Qi is blocked or disrupted, it can lead to illness and other concerns. 

We can apply this concept of Qi to our modern understanding of medicine as well—we now know that mental and physical health is deeply interconnected, meaning a problem with the brain can often lead to an issue with the body, and vice versa. Acupuncture has been shown to be an extremely effective method of stress relief, and can also reduce the symptoms of depression, which will in turn help support the body.

When is a Good Time to Get Acupuncture Treatment?

With a better understanding of acupuncture, we can discuss the best time to get started with it as a treatment for specific injuries or concerns. 

Acupuncture is a valuable treatment for injuries, especially for those looking to manage pain without the need for heavy pain medication. If you’re considering acupuncture as a method of treating an injury such as a sports injury, strain or sprain, and you’re uncertain if acupuncture is recommended for your specific injury, you’re welcome to contact our clinic to get clarity or you can also speak to a medical doctor before going ahead and booking your acupuncture consultation. 

While acupuncture is safe for treating many conditions including acute injury and even shown to be safe during pregnancy, it’s a good idea to make sure it is right for your specific needs. It is important to make sure you’re not putting off treatment for a serious injury when there is help available.

In all other cases, acupuncture can be started as soon as you begin to suspect a problem. Whether you’re noticing pain in your wrists as you type at your desk, are done with dealing with multiple headaches a week, or are looking for an alternative way to manage the symptoms of clinical anxiety or depression, there’s no risk to sitting down for an acupuncture assessment to learn more.

At Triumph Physio, acupuncture treatment always begins with an initial consultation with Dr. Jing Yuan, our licensed acupuncturist. In this first meeting, you'll start with a conversation about your health, including history, goals, and your special needs. With the information from this conversation, Dr. Yuan can create a customized treatment plan of acupuncture and supplementary treatments to help you get on the road to recovery. Dr. Yuan has worked with many who aren't quite comfortable with the idea of needling, and is excellent at achieving treatment outcomes while working within the client's comfort zone.

Contact us today if you're ready to give acupuncture a shot! We’d love to hear from you!

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