There are plenty of well known potential acupuncture benefits, including reduction of chronic pain and stress relief. Both of these benefits can be pretty compelling reasons to "get needled," but it is important to know a bit more about acupuncture before you start the treatments. Perhaps the most important thing to know is that there may be a couple of other effects that occur after your first acupuncture treatment. These effects are usually quite short lived, but it helps to be aware of them. Here is what the most common after-acupuncture effects are.
Relaxation or Drowsiness
Although acupuncture often leaves patients feeling newly energized, this may not happen after your very first session. In fact, you may leave your first acupuncture appointment feeling so relaxed that you become drowsy. This doesn't actually mean that the acupuncture didn't work, but is instead a sign that you allowed your body to become totally worn out from stress and anxiety before you tried acupuncture.
During your acupuncture session, all that lingering stress and anxiety is finally released. If you have suffered with this for a long time it can be rather exhausting to let it all go. Many people welcome this drowsiness, since it can help you to finally catch up on some much-needed rest.
Minor Soreness
After your initial acupuncture session, you might notice a very mild soreness. This soreness doesn't reach the level of pain, but is instead may be similar to mild muscle soreness after a workout at the gym. This is a sign that your body is starting to heal, and it might most closely be related to the "good sore" that you feel after a productive workout.
Expect a little bit of tenderness in any of the areas where the needles were inserted. In particular, if you had acupuncture on the hands or feet, you may feel soreness since these areas are especially delicate. This soreness is not a lasting one and usually won't continue as your body becomes accustomed to acupuncture treatments. Your acupuncturist will tell you how long to expect soreness after each treatment.
Not every patient experiences drowsiness or soreness, but it is best to prepare yourself for the possibility. Even with the minor inconvenience of these side effects, acupuncture still has much to offer anyone who suffers from pain or stress. Call your local acupuncture clinic like Relief Acupuncture to set up your first appointment.
Share8 July 2015
One day I was playing a game of basketball with a friend, and the friend I was playing ball with tripped and took a hard fall to the ground. He hit his head hard, but he insisted he was okay and just wanted to go home and take a nap. I knew in my heart that he was not thinking clearly, and I didn't feel right letting him go home. I talked him into letting me take him to the hospital, and after some tests, it was determined he had a bad concussion. The doctors told me that if I had let him go home and sleep, things could have taken a turn for the worse. I created this blog to remind everyone to look out for each other after injuries. Not everyone thinks clearly after a head injury, and just being a good friend could save a life.