You've come in for neck pain, stress and anxiety. You've been recommended a treatment plan and you're excited to get better! so now what?
How do you know if things are changing? How can you measure or tell that acupuncture is working for you?
The obvious answer is that if you're experiencing less pain then acupuncture is working but sometimes things aren't as black and white as that. Maybe you're experiencing longer pain-free episodes or more comfortable nights. Pain can be less intense and better tolerated. Pain can also change its nature- maybe it has changed from a sharp stabbing pain to a more dull ache. These changes all indicate that your body is responding well to acupuncture. Pain is often assessed with numerical scales or functional assessments - I most likely asked you at your consult to give a number on a scale of 0-10 of how bad your pain is and maybe you filled in a functional assessment to see how your pain affects your daily activities. Monitoring these numbers and assessments gives us a really good idea of progress.
Acupuncture is really good at evening out emotions and mood. This allows us to better take on the stressful aspects of our lives. I would love to wave a magic wand and make stress disappear but you know I'm no magician! Stress is gonna happen but if you find that you're taking the rough with the smooth without feeling overwhelmed or bogged down then acupuncture is definitely helping you.
Some other things you may notice are
You're sleeping better! acupuncture allows a deep relaxation and activation of the parasympathetic nervous system which means the "rest and digest" part of the brain gets a chance to do its job.
You're more regular! Rest and digest means that your gut is functioning as it should. Ideally, you should be pooping once or twice a day without pain or strain. You're appetite is optimal neither over or undereating and consuming a wide variety of foods.
You're feeling more energetic! Acupuncture taps into the body's energy reserve and optimizes the availability of oxygen for circulation. You wake more refreshed, have more energy throughout the day and then are ready for a good night's sleep. Being tired and wired is no fun- being able to wind down properly at the end of the day is vital for a quality sleep.
Acupuncture is cumulative and sometimes it can take a while for your primary issue to resolve. One treatment will build on the next and good habits take time to establish. If you are noticing these subtle but profound improvements in your day to day life then your primary issue will most likely be not far behind.
As usual, if you have any questions about your progress then don't hesitate to reach out.
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