Here are the top four excuses for not getting acupuncture—
1. “I’m afraid of needles.”
Needle sensitivity covers a wide spectrum. It ranges from needle phobics to people who are mildly disturbed by the whole voluntarily-being-stuck-with-needles thing. Regardless, the anti-needle excuse is invoked more than any other. Depending on where someone falls on the spectrum, this will be more or less fathomable: Fear of needles can—and usually does—go away once you take the initial plunge. Many acupuncture devotees were at one point afraid of needles. What got them over it was trying it. Most people who have never had acupuncture do not realize how thin acupuncture needles are. They do not bear any resemblance to needles that are used for injections or to draw blood. Acupuncture needles come in varying lengths and thinnesses, and some are as fine as a hair. They bend when you touch them. If you have a fear of needles, let your acupuncturist know. Most acupuncturists stock several needle sizes and will be more than happy to use the thinnest variety at your request.
2. “It’s too expensive and my insurance doesn't cover it.”
This unfortunately is still a relatively valid excuse for some people. However, recent developments are making it less and less convincing. Some insurance companies do seem to be adding acupuncture to their benefit packages. If you have health insurance and thought acupuncture wasn’t covered, check periodically and inquire about any changes to your plan.
3. “It’s not scientific.” (Also known as “I don’t believe in acupuncture.”)
There is a pervasive belief in healthcare that for something to be effective it must be validated by clinical trials. This is simply not true. Nor is the opposite true, that if something is validated by clinical trials then it’s effective. Clinical trials are to thank for many medications and technologies that have extended and improved life for countless people. That does not mean they have the answers to everything. They are merely one way of looking at effectiveness. When we fail to acknowledge this, we miss the opportunity to consider other perspectives and limit access to the therapies that might help us most. Results from clinical trials on acupuncture are all over the place. Some say acupuncture works, some say it’s no better than placebo, some say it’s worse. This does not mean acupuncture doesn’t work. All it means is that the biomedical gold standard, which is not conducive to studying non-biomedical therapies in the first place, isn’t able to make sense of it yet. If acupuncture is something you want to try, don’t get bogged down in research. Achieving a true state of health is not about doing something because a study said you should. It’s about becoming aware of the options and deciding what’s right for you.
4. “I don’t have time.”
This excuse refers to both attending appointments and waiting for results to kick in. Regarding the first, if you can just get yourself in the door, it’ll probably be the best hour of your week. Committing to acupuncture might feel at first like a burden, but the clarity and restoration you’ll experience afterwards will help create a sense of lightness and freedom in your otherwise hectic schedule. One hour away from the noise is a gift you deserve to give yourself. In regard to the second time-related excuse, what can we say? Acupuncture is not a quick fix. Nor is it a one-shot deal. Acupuncture is an ongoing investment that asks us to let go of our “I want it now” impulses. This teaches us patience. It also cultivates self-awareness. Pills force our bodies toward certain outcomes, which allows us to disconnect from the process of becoming healthy. In contrast, acupuncture prompts the body to heal itself. This requires that we listen to rather than numb the messages our bodies send.
Acupuncture takes time but it is time well spent.
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