What should patients do after an acupuncture treatment? For starters, they should avoid caffeine, junk food, digital screens, alcohol, difficult exercise, and stressful situations whenever they can. Various other activities should be avoided after an acupuncture treatment, at least for a short time. In some cases, this is for safety reasons, but it may also be done so the procedure's potential benefits can be maximised as a result of this short-lived change in lifestyle. Let's point out the things that should be avoided, this time in greater detail:

Avoid Stressful Situations

Acupuncture is a relaxation treatment for most clients, so at the very least, they need to avoid going back to a stressful situation, necessitating some lifestyle changes, at least for a short while. Whenever possible, you should book your appointments at a time when you won't have to go back to work. It may also be beneficial if you don't watch TV or check stressful news sources but instead listen to relaxing music, read a book or work on your favourite hobby.

Avoid Cold Temperatures

After acupuncture, your body will need to be warmed up to get back to normal. You should consider avoiding cold temperatures and avoiding using ice for any topical pain relief.

Avoid Digital Screens

Regarding relaxation, TV and other digital devices tend to stop the body from relaxing, as you are constantly engaged. You should give yourself at least a couple of hours of rest when you're done with the acupuncture session to wind down and have a good night's sleep. On the night of the acupuncture session, you should read a physical book, listen to music if you need to or lie down and try to relax and sleep.

Don't Drive if Lightheaded

For safety's sake, you should think about how you feel after the session is complete. Some people feel lightheaded after the procedure, so you should avoid driving if that's the case until you feel better. Have someone pick you up instead.

What Should Clients Eat After Acupuncture?

Just like you should avoid certain activities, you may also want to be aware of the food and drinks you're consuming. To maximise the potential benefits of the treatment, you should eat healthy, non-processed foods rich in antioxidants and vitamins, such as the following:

• Kale
• Spinach
• Ginger
• Kidney Beans
• Herbs such as Thyme, Basil, and Oregano
• Peppers
• Tomato
• Broccoli
• Green Tea
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Cranberries
• Turmeric
• Pecans
• Artichoke

What Clients Should Not Eat After Acupuncture

Just like there are foods you should eat, there are also foods and drinks you must avoid after acupuncture, ensuring your rate of recovery and improvement works out for the best:

• Junk food and fast food in general
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Refined sugars

Should Clients Rest After Acupuncture?

Though you don't need to sleep for days on end or get confined at home, you should still take it easy for a couple of days once the procedure is over so that you can reap the most benefits. What's more, you will find that rest will help restore your physical and emotional wellbeing.

What Clients SHOULD Do After Acupuncture

So, to summarise things:

• Rest
• Eat well and drink plenty of water.
• Be aware of their benefits, side effects, and general experience, as this feedback may be useful to you as their practitioner.
• Keep warm and use heat for pain relief where necessary.
• Consider other interventions to maximise outcomes.
• Take it easy and avoid strenuous exercise.

©The Acupuncturists Ltd

Acupuncture is a form of treatment, which relies on very thin needles being inserted into the skin. The philosophy originates from Ancient Chinese Medicine. It is based on the belief that processes in the body are controlled by the vital energy flow of qi. It travels through the body via pathways – meridians. If these pathways become blocked or obstructed, certain illnesses and discomfort follow. With acupuncture, experts can work on the blockages and restore the natural flow of qi. 

Acupuncture nowadays has been proven to work for many conditions and improve overall health. It may be utilised as a pain reduction treatment, as well as to treat everyday stress. Patients with certain neurological conditions report feeling much better after acupuncture. Here is more about the benefits of acupuncture and why you should consider the treatment:  

• Stress reduction – the main reason people want to see an acupuncturist lies with their need to reduce stress. One key factor to that lies with restoring their energy balance and triggering specific nervous system responses. Acupuncture works well in terms of stress relief because it lowers the hormones that lead to stress. It also improves mood significantly and lessens the feelings of anxiety. It triggers a response in the body to release natural feel-good hormones, which is in most cases enough to work well for stress relief. 
  
  
• Reduces pain in the back and joints – another major plus of acupuncture lies in its use as a pain relief method. It works on tension in the back and neck area of the body, alleviating the discomfort you feel in the joints. As a drug-free treatment for pain, it is effective with no side effects. 
  
  
• Treatment for headache – many people struggling with chronic headaches and migraine often resort to medication, but acupuncture has also been proven to relieve some of the pain. Study after study shows that the treatment is effective at reducing not just the frequency, but also the severity of the headaches. In some instances, it proved to be even more effective than medication for tension headaches. 
  
  
• Enhances mental clarity – with stress often comes brain fog, which can rob a person of their capacity to focus and concentrate and to think well. With acupuncture treatment, it is possible to address brain fog as a method for inducing relaxation and dealing with the problem in a non-invasive and risk-free way. 
  
  
• Deals with digestive problems – there are many digestive problems, which occur for different reasons – heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation are just some of the most common ones. If your digestive system is not working all too well, your overall health will also decline. With acupuncture treatment, you can regulate the digestive process better and bring yourself great relief from the common ailments of this nature. 
  
  
• Better sleep – if you maintain a good energy balance in your body, you can sleep without any issues. Acupuncture treatment in scientific trials has shown great promise in alleviating some of the struggles of people with insomnia. According to some of the results, acupuncture was better than certain medications and the benefit from the treatment was proven more effective. 
  
  
• Improves fertility – for couples who are having trouble with fertility, acupuncture could be the treatment to come in handy. It works by optimising reproductive hormones, with subsequent treatments helping with healthy pregnancies in women. 
  
  

Acupuncture is a wonderful choice for many people, who have trouble with their health. It is a risk-free treatment that works well on both men and women of all ages. 

© The Acupuncturists Ltd