On rare occasions acupuncture works like a big bang! More often it works through an accumulative process - each treatment's effects adding on to the last. While we can't predict exactly how you'll respond to a course of acupuncture treatments, we're happy to give you our best guess and promise to be honest with you along the way.

Changing long-standing patterns will likely require some patience. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for differences in the intensity, location or frequency of what you're feeling. And enjoy the downtime in the treatment room.

A few more thoughts.

Downtime: Acupuncture slows us down, very reliably. This is a feature, not an accident.

Listen: Changes often show in stages. Take your rest, hydrate and celebrate your small victories along the way.

Frequency: The most important piece when starting out is to be consistent with your schedule.

Trust: Our bodies are capable of impressive feats of self-sorting. Acupuncture's usefulness depends on this phenomenon. We trust in this every single day in clinic!