What to expect after acupuncture

What should I expect after acupuncture?

A very common question i get with patients either new to acupuncture, or new to me, is what to expect after treatment. The general answer is a reduction in symptoms and a greater sense of wellbeing. More specific answers vary by the treatment style, specifically if I use APM (Acupuncture Physical Medicine) which incorporates dry-needle trigger point release.

In the case of APM (dry needling), immediately following treatment there may be soreness in the muscles I have worked on. Usually it would feel similar to after a good workout or a deep tissue massage. There is a possibility when getting off the table that some muscles have tightened, so we always check for those before leaving. If there are tight muscles they are easily released. The muscles should allowed to rest for 1-2 days, following that they should function better and be less painful overall.

In work targeting internal conditions, following treatment there may be improvements in sleep, digestion, bowel movements, anxiety, stress, and pain.