Stages of Care
1
Relief Phase
2
Corrective/Treatment Phase
3
Maintenance Phase
Phase 1: Relief Phase
The primary focus is on reducing your symptoms to get you out of distress and may include lifestyle advice. Ideally this is at least a minimum of two appointments a week however this is not realistic for most people so treatments will be scheduled weekly. In most cases this will be a minimum of 3 weekly treatments before moving to the corrective/treatment phase. Some people may require a longer period of weekly treatments, but this is continuously reviewed at your follow up appointments. Our aim is to work with you and your health goals.
Phase 2: Corrective/Treatment Phase
Begin to correct the underlying cause(s) of your symptoms. Treatments will change from weekly to fortnightly for a number of weeks with the aim to monthly for a period. Generally, the process will be 8-12 treatments spread out over a period of time but this will vary based on the individual and the number of treatments may be less or more. Remember we see this treatment as dosage and some people require a less dosage and others more dosage. The aim is to see how long the body can continue to self-heal without the need for acupuncture to help the body. Healing is not linear and therefore there may be spikes and require adjusting the frequency of treatments. If this happens, do not be concerned; the most important thing is to listen to what your body is saying and working with it: 'your body talks'.
Phase 3: Maintenance Phase
As acupuncture stimulates the body's natural healing response some people may require maintenance treatments. This is because Chinese medicine focuses on the individual, and the person's body may not have adequate resources to continue without treatment; this phase is not required by everyone. The regularity of treatments will vary person to person: monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, six months or some people may decide to have ad hoc treatments and just return when symptoms are unbearable. Our goal is to work with you and find a treatment schedule that is suitable for your wellness.