“What If I Feel Worse After Acupuncture?”

© 2020 by Dr. David B. Meredith, D.Ac.

I've been using this blog space to highlight some of the concerns people have about acupuncture before they try it. I understand the anxiety surrounding this medicine. While heavily regulated, it's not a part of most Americans' experience. They think of "needles" and perhaps the natural response is a concern about pain or safety. I've addressed these concerns in previous entries, and you can find them here and here.

Today's entry is a concern that might come up once you've actually tried an acupuncture treatment. As I explained under "Is Acupuncture Safe?", acupuncture is actually one of the safest medical modalities available. Still, sometimes there's a worry about what to do if you feel worse after an acupuncture treatment.

The first thing to do if you feel worse afterward is to contact your practitioner and let them know what's going on. We acupuncturists are trained to screen for red flags from treatment or other sources, so please feel free to ask about any of your concerns!

The most common ways of "feeling worse" I hear about after a treatment are that either the symptom felt better for a while and then returned, or that another area near an original source of pain is now painful.

The first situation is good news! If a symptom fluctuates after a treatment, means that the acupuncture worked and now you just need more treatments to keep it gone for longer.

In the second situation, the new pain was almost always present previously, but some clearing of the original source helps you differentiate between the two. This is also a sign of good prognosis from further treatments.

The next most common "worsening" is also good news in the long term, although perhaps uncomfortable at first. In natural medicines like acupuncture, there is a concept called "Law of Cure" or "Healing Crisis," which occurs when some kinds of symptoms flare up after a successful treatment. In acupuncture, which relies on traditional Chinese medical theory, the idea is that disease initially invades the body in layers, from the most surface down to the deepest, and when the disease starts to leave the body, symptoms can flare up as they "exit" back toward the surface. In Western medicine, this same phenomenon is explainable when latent pathogens (viruses, allergens, etc.) are released from where they are hiding in the body and the immune system once again realizes they are present. Another potential source is a die off of unhealthy bacteria in the digestive system, which can cause short-term digestive upset as more beneficial bacteria take over. A healing crisis almost always lasts less than 72 hours. 

The last common "worsening" that is ultimately a positive sign is when I do what is called a "motor point" treatment to resolve orthopedic dysfunction in a joint. The motor point is where the motor nerve enters the muscle, and stimulating it (especially with a small current) can make the entire muscle twitch, which can help restore function to the area. However, the unaccustomed stimulation can often cause a localized ache or cramp, as if you've worked out. This usually clears up within a day. 

I am very focused on symptom tracking, and I always want to hear what you notice after a treatment so we can plan for more improvement during the next one. If you feel uncomfortable in some way afterward, please get in touch and let me know! We can talk next steps and ways of alleviating any sort-term discomfort so we can focus on the long-term benefits.