does it hurt?

Acupuncture rarely 'hurts'. The most that people experience is a dull ache around the base of the inserted needle, or a slight tingling feeling when the needle is inserted. Points at the extremities, like finger or toes, can sometimes be a little sharp, but the sensation is usually very brief and often less painful than a mosquito bite!

​

how often will treatments happen?

The frequency of required treatments varies depending on the condition being treated. Generally, the longer the patient has had the condition the longer the course of treatment will be before showing substantial and lasting results.

​

Acupuncture can be scheduled as often as five times a week or as little as once a month. Acute conditions often require more frequent visits at the beginning to bring symptoms under control.
 

But, just as there is a problem with treating too infrequently, over-treating can also be an issue. Most practitioners use the analogy of cleaning out a pond. If you take all the rubbish off the bottom the water becomes cloudy for a few days, and you need to let it settle before you can properly assess what change you have achieved.