At the Australian Acupuncture Centre (AAC), we rely heavily on empirical knowledge (developed within our profession over 1000’s of years) and the latest research findings to help us determine the appropriate acupuncture treatment plan for our patients.
Determining the appropriate acupuncture treatment plan involves interviewing patients about their problems and examining them according to Chinese medicine diagnostic principles.
Once the problem is understood and framed within the diagnostic language of Chinese medicine, various treatment options are considered, and a treatment plan is developed.
The typical acupuncture treatment plan
The typical acupuncture treatment plan at AAC begins by performing several consultations quickly (typically over 7-10 days).
This provides valuable information about how well the patient responds to acupuncture and allows the practitioner to determine the best acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatment plan.
Once the patient’s response rate (IRR) and most appropriate treatment plan option is understood, it is possible to estimate the dose (frequency and the duration of treatment) required to recover.
You can find out more about the factors influencing IRR and dose here.
Once the patient’s IRR is determined, the typical acupuncture treatment plan would involve something like 2 or 3 consultations a week.
After the patient is free of symptoms, the frequency of treatment is reduced. It is essential to understand that treatment plans do not typically conclude at this point as reduction or eradication of symptoms is not necessarily an indication that the underlying problem has been entirely resolved.
This is because recovery from illness or injury is always a multi-step process involving various phases of recovery.
At the AAC, we think of recovery from injury or illness in three distinct phases; symptomatic, asymptomatic, and resolution. Each phase requires a different treatment dose, which will typically be reflected in your acupuncture treatment plan. You can read more about the 3 phases of treatment here.
So, to recap, at AAC, the typical treatment plans look like this;
- Interview and examination to determine the nature of the problem
- Initial consultation/s to confirm your response rate
- Development of a treatment plan to progress you through the 3 phases of recovery
- Dose at symptomatic phase is typically 2-3 consultations per week for several weeks
- Dose at asymptomatic phase is typically one consultation per week, sliding out to 1 consultation fortnightly as results are consolidated
- Dose at resolution phase is typically one consultation monthly to maintain results
All this can be a little confusing! But don’t worry, if you want to find out more about what an acupuncture treatment plan might look like, please contact the clinic on 03 5298 1213.
Alternatively, please email us at info@australianacupuncturecentre.com.au or pop into Shop 3 / 153 Shannon Ave, Manifold Heights, VIC 3218 for a chat.
Thanks for reading,
Paul