Why people don’t use acupuncture

The biggest reason people don’t even approach the topic of acupuncture is that they don’t like needles. At this point, I need to reassure them that it’s nothing like the typical hypodermic needles that they’re use to.

Fear of needles

I won’t sugarcoat it like some practitioners to get your business; sometimes the needles prick, but they should rarely outright hurt. And for most it’s nothing compared to the pain or discomfort you may be experiencing with your condition.

In comparison, acupuncture needles are more like tiny pins (because they are not hollowed) - one quarter (1/4th) the size of pins to be more precise, and about 1/25th the size of a typical hypodermic needle.

Doubt in the outcome

The next reason is that people just don’t believe in it and/or it didn’t work the 1st time. It’s no help that acupuncture doesn’t get as much press as the other prevailing medical procedures, but it has been around a long time all over the world and it has only gained in popularity among mainstream and Western approaches to treating patients. So try to be open minded and don’t knock it til you try it.

Now you’ve taken the leap and actually tried it, once or twice, but no luck. Maybe you didn’t click with your practitioner and maybe you weren’t getting the results you desired. Every problem is different and so is every practitioner. You can’t write something off because of one or two experiences. Who ever stuck with their first hair stylist, mechanic, doctor, retailer, etc.? The free market offers plenty of choice so continue looking until you find a practitioner with whom you feel comfortable, communicate well, and achieve the results you desire.

What to expect?

Regarding results, what should you expect from a medical procedure with which you are unfamiliar? Regardless of which therapy you use and the severity of your problem, whether it’s physical therapy, chiropractic, laser, massage, or acupuncture, you will most likely need a course of 5-15 treatments. This means you need to try something between one and half a dozen times to elicit enough of a physiological change in your body to convince you that you’re making progress and probably another 5-10 treatments to stabilize the problem to the point where you don’t need to be treated as often.

Having said that, healing takes time and money, which is the last reason why people don’t try acupuncture. It’s truly a wonderful therapy with virtually zero side effects and can get you feeling a whole lot better within a few treatments. But one must invest time and money to get there.

I cannot help you with time. I know everyone is busy and has somewhere else to be. People place various importance on therapy compared to the other places they want or need to be, but that’s a value judgment left to the patient. Cost, on the other hand, is something I can control and something I will discuss in my next blog.