Why Committing to a Care Plan Improves Health Outcomes
Sticking to an entire course of care with acupuncture and herbal medicine provides an opportunity to move past simple symptom management.
While symptoms like pain or stress may initially bring you in for treatment, the goal is to create a lasting transformation in your body’s function.
Wouldn’t you agree that “well-being” is beyond simply getting out of pain or discomfort?
Ideally, your whole body system should be functioning at optimal. This means:
- you’re less likely to have recurrences of the imbalance or injury
- AND you’re more likely to recover quickly from future health events.
When we address the root causes of dis-ease, we give the body an opportunity to tap into its innate healing ability, giving even the most chronic cases a chance for lasting improvement.
In this blog post, you’ll learn why it’s important to move through three distinct stages of an acupuncture and herb care plan to achieve lasting improvements in your health.
Measurable Improvements: 3 Stages of Care Will Get You There
If you’re someone who has recurring health problems – there’s a reason you have not been able to resolve the issue (or it keeps returning).
Most commonly:
- You don’t know how to get a resolution, OR
- You don’t have someone to keep you accountable to your own care past symptom management
Committing to a care plan provides the ideal conditions to shift your body from recovery to prevention. Shifting your physiology for the long term means leaving you in a better place than when you started – so you can move past simply surviving to thriving.
Stage 1: Reducing Pain, Inflammation, Tension, and Stress
In the initial stage of treatment, acupuncture and herbs work together to reduce pain, ease tension, decrease inflammation, and alleviate stress.
This first phase focuses on providing immediate relief to help you feel better quickly. However, it’s important to understand that while symptom relief is a crucial first step, it does not necessarily address the underlying issues causing your discomfort.
This is the easy part; Acupuncture is amazing for relieving stress, tension, inflammation, and pain in the short term.
At this beginning stage, we are teaching the body how to get into a deep state of relaxation. So begins a cascade of healing to help all the body’s systems to restore and regulate.
Stage 2: Addressing Root Cause, Structure & Function
After the initial relief, our focus shifts to addressing the root cause of your symptoms.
This can involve:
- remedying structural imbalances in the body,
- restoring proper function to organ systems,
- improving your mobility,
- and reactivating muscles which may have atrophied.
Stage 2 is arguably the most critical phase for creating lasting improvements in your health. At this time, we prevent relapses by bringing the body into balance as a whole system with consistent treatments.
What is a “Root Imbalance” or “Root Cause?”
During your initial consult, and through the first phase of treatment, we will have honed in on your unique pattern of imbalance.
This is your Chinese Medicine Diagnosis, we call it your “root cause” or “root imbalance.”
By focusing on the organ systems causing your unique cascade of dysfunction, we are able to improve upon many, seemingly-unrelated symptoms spread across various organ systems.
Stage 3: Maintenance, Performance, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Changes
Once the symptoms have subsided and the underlying causes have been addressed, we move into the maintenance phase.
Here, acupuncture and herbs, along with nutrition and lifestyle changes, all work together to help sustain the improvements you’ve made by integrating changes into your routine. By reinforcing these healthier habits, we ensure that your body remains in balance.
At this final stage in the care plan, we recognize that your muscle groups and organ systems are performing like a well-oiled machine. You now have the foundational balance to decrease treatment frequency and re-allocate your time to enjoy your new lifestyle.
As we have now managed the majority of the imbalance within your system, it’s important to keep our “finger on the pulse” to sustain the gains you have made through committing to your course of care.
This step is essential for preventing the recurrence of symptoms and enhancing your overall well-being. Now that health is maintained, you can be more focused on life priorities which bring joy.
Investing in Health Saves Time & Money
When you commit to a care plan, it’s important to move through these 3 essential stages to give yourself the best opportunity to access long-term sustainable self-care. With holistic medicine, we work at a steadier, long-term pace because we are working with the body’s natural healing capability.
Just like with working out, we don’t expect to meet our goals after only a few weeks!
With acupuncture and herbs, the care plan duration can vary greatly from individual to individual (anywhere from a few weeks to a few months).
That’s why we do a detailed exam on our first visit – to gauge how well your body is functioning holistically, so we can estimate how long we think it might take to achieve the results you’re seeking.
Investing in your health is like any other investment – taking the time and money in the short term pays in dividends in the long term. So make sure you’re giving your body a real chance for transformation by taking the medicine at the correct dosage and frequency to get the results you wish to achieve.
With a comprehensive care plan, you’re doing more than managing symptoms; you are creating a sustainable relationship with your body to achieve well-being for the long-term!
Schedule an consult today to find out how we can help you!
“Investing in your health is like any other investment – taking the time and money in the short term pays in dividends in the long term.“
– Dr. Nicolette Natrin, Founder of Om Kinetics
About the Author
Dr. Nicolette Natrin
Hi! I’m a holistic doctor, master herbalist, and acupuncturist.
I help individuals solve health problems and optimize their bodies for the long-term.
Find out how I can help you by booking your first appointment!
Questions? Comments? Contact me directly for the best response.
