What to expect in an acupuncture consultation

Although some people have come for acupuncture before, some have not and may be curious.

The first appointment normally takes a bit longer than the hour so it is good to allow one hour to an hour and a half. It depends on the complexity of the health issue and how talkative a client is too! The client fills out a form about their personal information, their past medical history and their reason for coming for treatment. It can be brief as we go into more detail in the appointment. 

The client and I discuss their current state of health and symptoms they are experiencing. We also touch on the past medical history as it helps me get a fuller picture of what is going on mentally, emotionally and physically for the person. The questions I ask that may sometimes seem unrelated really help me to determine how I will treat the person. Some questions I may ask may be about whether they drink water in sips or drink a lot of water in the one go. Or if they snore or are light sleepers. It is all relevant!

Once I have this information, we are ready to start the treatment. I am trained in acupuncture, cupping and Tuina massage. Which one I use depends on what the client is coming for. 

Acupuncture

The acupuncture needles are retained in the body for about 25 - 30mins. Some people ask me how many needles I use per treatment and this really varies. Generally I use 8 - 15 needles. It all depends on what I am treating. If someone is feeling a bit apprehensive about the needles I always take it slow and communicate with the client. It is really important that the client feels safe and comfortable. 

After the treatment, I have a quick check in on how they are and we discuss subsequent appointments. 

People sometimes feel a difference straight away or a few days later and other times it takes more treatments to see notable improvements.