6 Treatments in 3 Days
I know we say it a lot, but the old CA adage “frequency trumps cleverness” bears repeating.
This week we had some new patients come in, let’s call them Frank and Marie. Frank and Marie are a vivacious couple in their seventies who both have widespread pain and arthritis, compounded by many years of working physically demanding jobs. Recently Frank and Marie saw a news story about how acupuncture is an effective treatment for pain, so they decided to give it a try. The thing is, they live way up the mountains, with nary an acupuncturist for a country mile. They broadened their search and found our clinic, so they budgeted some money, drove four hours, and stayed with old friends in Nashville for a few days.
Since their time was limited, and they wanted to get the most out of their trip, Frank and Marie decided to get two treatments a day for three consecutive days. It’s not often that we get a patient coming in twice a day for consecutive days, especially a couple of patients as charming and fun as Frank and Marie, so naturally all of our staff wanted to know more about them and just fell in love with them. Trey was the first one to meet them: he did both of their treatments on the first day, then briefed me in preparation for day 2; I handed them off to Jenn, then I got to wrap up with them on the last day. They actually didn’t have time for the second treatment on day 3 – they had to get back home – so instead they brought in their local friends and hosts, and treatment #6 for Frank and Marie became treatment #1 for Bill and Sandy (also not their real names).
Have you ever witnessed what will happen to a body that gets 5 acupuncture treatments in less than 72 hours? Even an arthritic, 70-year-old body in a lot of pain? I hadn’t. And let me tell you, it’s pretty freaking phenomenal. Marie was walking better; at her last treatment she told me that her back and ankle had really improved, and an unexpected result was that acupuncture had profoundly affected her emotional well-being as well. Frank’s sole comment in our last intake was, “I feel great.”
Now, I know Frank and Marie aren’t completely cured; they know it too. Their pain isn’t gone forever. But after three days of intensive treatment, they feel better. Remarkably better. I’ve been thinking about the treatment plan I might have recommended if they’d been locals. But they weren’t locals, and they didn’t have much time, so they scheduled as many treatments as they could in three days, all within their modest budget. It was eye-opening for me. I think of how very slowly Frank and Marie might have progressed, if I was a boutiquer recommending treatment once a week, or even in my regular CA mode of recommending 2-3 treatments a week for acute pain. I know acupuncture works; like most CA punks, I’ve done thousands of treatments. But seeing so much improvement with so many treatments in such a short amount of time with such dedicated patients – that was a new one for me. And I have a whole new respect for these little needles and what they can do, and especially for our patients who will do whatever it takes to feel better. I wonder what would happen if all of our patients got two treatments a day.
And just so you know, I didn’t do anything special in terms of point selection or treatment techniques. None of us did. We ain’t theory purists at ENCA, that’s for sure. We all have our favorite points and we do them again and again. Frank and Marie feeling better had nothing to do with us being exceptional practitioners, and it had everything to do with us being available and accessible and open and loving. And more than that, it was because Frank and Marie showed up, for six treatments, three days in a row.
After their last treatment we all exchanged hugs and vowed to stay in touch. I really hope Frank and Marie come visit us in Nashville again. But what would make me even happier is if they didn’t have to drive four hours to get acupuncture. Anyone want to move to Knoxville? Message me. It’s beautiful there. You’ll get to meet Frank and Marie, and I have a feeling you’ll meet everyone they know too.
Wonderful story. I’m printing and posting it where patients can see it!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve heard that sometimes more than one treatment in one day can be beneficial, but this post double-confirms it for me. And, it’s such a delight to read about Marie and Frank!
Alexa, Alexa!
This is EXACTLY why and how CA is so incredible and why and how it has such exponential potential. (Funny sentence.)You’ve “made space” for people and they’re finding their way to you.
Thank you for sharing! What a tremendous demonstration of how acupuncture grows, thanks to the community model!
Here’s what I imagine: a little bit of mainstream information/education leaked out, perhaps news of the big study just released about acupuncture’s effectiveness for pain (Duh!). Add a dose of internet. They find ENCA and see it’s affordable. Plan a trip combining a visit with friends and decide to really go for it. …Talk about “outcomes”! This couple have found real relief and feel much better, they’ve brought two new locals to your practice, they’ll tell all their friends and family back home, and maybe you’ll prick someone’s interest with your call for a punk to set up a clinic in Knoxville…
Everyone involved feels deeply touched by the experience. EVERYONE benefited–“Frank and Marie”, their friends in Nashville, the punks who treated them…This is how it works!!!
Meanwhile, I’m still working towards setting up a BDC here in Los Angeles… Waiting to hear back from a few potential “punk-owners”. (Other inquiries welcome!)
This made me smile like crazy, Alexa! Thanks for sharing 🙂
When I was living in Taiwan and training at the T’zu Chi teaching hospital, we would often see the same patient twice a day, ten days in a row. Afterwards they were often discharged, having shown a huge improvement.
I remember one old guy who had had a stroke, and after 20 treatments in ten days was so improved it was hard to believe it was the same person.
Isn’t this how it is done in China too?!! This is great. Anyone else been to mainland and seen daily treatments? Even San Francisco has ‘acupuncture hospitals’.
Thanks so much for sharing! We just gave our first two treatments in one day to a patient yesterday here at Vancouver Community Acupuncture, so really interesting to see your post. This medicine is AMAZING.
I hurt my own back last Monday, and got a treatment every day and two on Wednesday! I’m back up and needling again today. It’s amazing what our bodies can do with help from the needles. Great story!
Awesome! I think I’ll be doing my own experimenting with it this month. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Kevin
https://www.acupuncturehealth.net/category/micro-acupuncture/
Scroll down and read the macular degeneration patients’ experience at acupuncturist Andy Rosenfarb’s clinic –3 sessions a day (25 min. each) for 10 days with a weekend break.