Your First Visit
Please arrive 10-15 minutes early for your first acupuncture appointment to complete the intake forms. The acupuncture intake form asks questions about your current state of health, past illnesses, and family history. These questions are important because the holistic approach of Chinese medicine takes everything into account. Your current symptoms may not seem related to past health issues, but our bodies are complex landscapes and everything that happens to them leaves its mark.
After reviewing your intake form, we will discuss your condition, and possibly perform physical assessments. The acupuncture points chosen will depend on your condition, but you can expect approximately 15-20 needles. Once the needles are inserted, I will leave you to lie comfortably for 20-40 minutes (again depending on your condition) with the needles in place. Many people find acupuncture treatment deeply relaxing, and it is not uncommon for patients to fall asleep during this time.
What To Expect With the Needles
Many first-time patients are concerned that acupuncture needles will feel like hypodermic injections at the doctor’s office. They won't. Acupuncture uses hair-thin, flexible needles that you will hardly feel when inserted. What patients do feel is often described as a heavy, achy pressure, spreading, or traveling feeling. Muscle spasms are common and a sign that the muscle is starting to relax. You may also feel an "electrical" sensation moving down the extremities, though this is less common. Most patients find these acupuncture sensations deeply satisfying and leave the treatment feeling relaxed.
Acupuncture treatment creates deep relaxation
in both mind and body.
How Many Treatments Will You Need?
The benefits of acupuncture are cumulative, so more than one treatment is necessary. Generally speaking, acute conditions may take 10 to 15 treatments, but you will usually begin to feel relief in the first few. Chronic conditions may take longer to respond, depending on the type, severity, and duration of the condition. Preventative treatments and treatments for general well-being may also be scheduled on an as-needed basis.
