Restructuring American Acupuncture Practice

 

I came across this article while trying to find a usable template for recording patient visit data. ( I couldn’t find one, to make my own, sigh.)  The author is advocating more frequent acupuncture treatment, which I’ve always suspected would be beneficial.
I especially like this part

“The ideal frequency for acupuncture therapy (assuming both patients and practitioners have the option to adjust to it) depends on one’s concept of the function of acupuncture therapy. Consider a few examples of other therapies. Would you, or specialists in their respective fields, recommend that a patient:

• take nutritional supplements (such as a vitamin/mineral) once per week or once per day?
• take a course of antibiotics, one dose per week for ten weeks or one dose per day for ten days?
• take a decongestant once per week during allergy season, or every day during allergy season?
• undertake exercise, 20-30 minutes once per week, or 20-30 minutes at least five days per week?
• take an herb decoction or other herb preparation once per week, or every day?
• get a good night’s sleep once per week, or every night?
• eat healthy foods once per week or every day (or most days)?

I think you will find it obvious that once per week doesn’t work for any of these things. There are some cancer therapies that are given once per week, but they are severely toxic and long-lasting, and not comparable to the experience of natural therapies. But, diet, exercise, sleep, herbs, vitamins, and common drug therapies are more like acupuncture treatments in their regulatory and recuperative effects, and a person should be doing them daily or almost every day.”