You will get an idea of length of treatment at the initial consultation. As a general rule, I like to see a change after every acupuncture session, and if this is the case then I find that patients are not too concerned about length of treatment… provided they see a change after each treatment.
With long-standing, complicated, chronic conditions it may require a number of sessions before some benefit is seen. Acupuncture is a powerful & subtle medicine and often I am trying to treat imbalances which have been going on for many years. In some cases, the disease process is so entrenched in the body that only maintenance or pain relief is possible.

Picture right - Treating a patient for depression – regulating the governing channel that runs along the spine and into the brain. Picture taken at Guluo hospital, Nanjing, China

Conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis require long-term management to try and prevent relapses and prolong periods of remission.

Treatments are normally given at weekly intervals although some problems need more frequent visits. For example, Bell¹s Palsy (facial paralysis) needs to be treated every day for 10 sessions, and then a break for 2-3 days, and then another course of 10 sessions. Stroke patients also need more regular treatment. Treatment cost may be reduced when intensive treatment is needed.

Some illnesses such as hayfever will benefit from treatment four to six weeks prior to the hayfever season to prevent symptoms developing. It is also treated during the hayfever season, and generally acupuncture is very effective.