Acupuncture

Your First Appointment: What to Expect

Acupuncture is effective for treating many conditions. Share with us all the symptoms and conditions you are dealing with so that we may address them in your treatment.

Based upon the information gathered during your intake, we will share a treatment plan including recommended treatment frequency, as well as any Chinese herbal formulas or lifestyle/dietary changes which we feel would be beneficial.

 

To determine the type of acupuncture treatment that will help you the most, your practitioner may ask you about your symptoms, behaviors and lifestyle. They may also closely examine:

• The parts of your body that are painful

• The shape, coating and color of your tongue

• The color of your face

• The strength, rhythm and quality of the pulse in your wrist

 

The initial evaluation and treatment is 90 minutes. Follow up appointments are 60 minutes. 

 

During the Treatment

Acupuncture points are situated in all areas of the body. Sometimes the appropriate points are far removed from the area of your pain. There are over 300 points on the body. Your acupuncturists will tell you the general site of the planned treatment. Depending on what area we are treating you will lie on a padded table face up or face down. Many patients wear loose-fitting clothes or we may ask you to change into a gown depending on the area of the body being treated. We make sure you are comfortable and warm, and can provide additional draping and pillows to ensure your relaxation throughout the treatment.

 

The treatment involves:

• Needle insertion. Acupuncture needles are inserted at strategic points to treat your specific condition. The needles are very thin, so insertion usually causes little discomfort. People often don’t feel them inserted at all. Between five and 20 needles are used in a typical treatment. You may feel a mild, but short, aching sensation when a needle reaches the correct depth. Many first-time patients are worried the needles will hurt, but generally you will only feel a slight pinching comparable to a mosquito bite. 

• Needle manipulation. Your practitioner may gently move or twirl the needles after placement.

• Infrared therapy heat lamps will be directed at specific areas of the body.

• Once the needles are in, you will lie still with the lights dimmed and relaxing music playing for 20-40 minutes.

• There is usually no discomfort when the needles are removed.

 

After the Treatment

Some people feel relaxed and others feel energized after an acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture is a profoundly relaxing treatment. After treatment that relaxed feeling may continue for a while. Often people will then feel a sense of increased energy. Acupuncture doesn’t have many side effects, but you may notice some bruising or slight swelling at the acupuncture point however this happens infrequently.

 

Results

The more chronic the condition, the longer it can take to restore the body to health, but most often patients start to feel an improvement after 3-5 visits. Acute conditions can improve more quickly, sometimes within 1-3 visits.

 

During follow up appointments we will discuss changes since your last visit, evaluate progress, and continue our acupuncture treatments. Chinese herbal formulas and lifestyle suggestions will be modified as needed.