First Appointment
First appointment, before and after treatment
Diagnosis and treatment
During their first visit patients are asked about their main complaint, lifestyle and medical history.
The way the patient is diagnosed in Chinese Medicine is by taking the pulse, looking at their tongue and by questioning symptoms such as like sleeping patterns, diet, and digestion. Some of the questions may seem irrelevant to patients but acupuncture treats people as a whole not just the main complaint so as a result their other symptoms might improve as well.
For treatment I am using sterile, single use needles that are very thin, not much thicker than hair. Needles may be inserted for 1-2 seconds or left in for up to 30 minutes depending on the treatment. Treatment is so relaxing that many patients fall asleep.
Before Treatment
It is recommended that you have a light meal before treatment.
In terms of clothing please wear loose clothes, something comfortable. Points that are used the most are on the lower legs and arms. A gown can also be provided if required.
After Treatment and What to expect.
It is recommended that you relax after treatment for the remainder of the day, avoiding excessive work or exercise. Sometimes patients may feel lightheaded or tired after treatment but this passes quickly, on occasion skin around the needled area may be bruised.
How often will I need to come?
Every patient is different and presents with different symptoms. Some conditions respond immediately to acupuncture and others take much longer. The longer you’ve had a condition, the more treatments you’ll expect to have and the more frequently you’ll need to come.
From my experience I advise my patients to come once a week for four treatments to get the momentum going and then I will review the progress. By this time I will have a good idea of how the acupuncture is working and can discuss lengthening the time between treatments. Some people will not need further treatment, whilst others work towards coming seasonally for maintenance treatment. Many of my patients continue to come monthly just for general wellbeing in order to keep their body mind and spirit in balance, and use Acupuncture as preventative medicine.
