Every once in awhile, one of my patients will receive what I call a Unicorn Treatment. What is that you say? Well, it’s a magical, mysterious acupuncture session that usually only occurs just once in person’s lifetime (unless they themselves are a unicorn disguised as a human), and miraculously cures the patient's chief complaint in a single session (in other words, the condition never reoccurs).

Results like this lead to a common misconception that the Unicorn Treatment is a regular occurrence in the world of acupuncture.  Upon hearing these stories, many people try acupuncture once, expecting a miracle cure, only to feel disappointed when the condition returns a few days later.

This is totally normal. 

The reality is most conditions, especially chronic ailments, take multiple acupuncture treatments to resolve. Patients usually feel better after the first treatment, but if they don't receive another treatment within a few days, the pain or illness returns again. 

In my clinic, all treatment plans are customized to a patient's needs. In most cases, I advise the patient that their condition will take X number of treatments within X number of days before they feel consistently better. 

So, if you've tried acupuncture once, and you felt disappointed because it didn't help you, I highly recommend trying it again (especially before resorting to an irreversible treatment like surgery).  It's likely that consistent treatments will give you relief of your symptoms. And if you haven't tried acupuncture, maybe your first session will be a Unicorn Treatment, which will feel kind of like winning the lottery!