What To Expect
What happens during an Acupuncture treatment?
In a typical first visit, the acupuncturist will take a detailed health history via a questionnaire and interview, and will listen to your concerns and your chief complaints. Many aspects are considered for the classical acupuncture diagnosis, including the symptoms presented and the Western medical information from your primary physician.
The acupuncture practitioner looks at the complexion color or pallor, pays attention to emotional content expressed during the interview, examines the tongue carefully, and feels the pulses located on each wrist. Thus, an individualized treatment is designed based on this wide range of diagnostic information and observation. The first session, which includes the interview and treatment time, may take an hour and a half. The follow-up treatments are usually one hour.
For the acupuncture treatment, very fine needles are used for insertion in the chosen specific acupuncture points. The needles are solid and hair thin. They are individually packaged, sterilized, disposable needles, opened only as they are being used. The needles are flexible, surgical-grade stainless steel designed to be as painless as possible. The licensed acupuncturist is trained in the standard, OSHA-approved, “Clean Needle Technique."
Each person may experience acupuncture differently, but most feel minimal pain or sensation with the needles. Some people feel energized by the treatment. Most clients feel the relaxing effect, during and after the treatment. Negative side effects are rare, and complications even more rare, though the client may experience the energy shifts during and after the treatment, as the healing progresses.
Each acupuncture point has several functions. Needling a specific point can stimulate, sedate, cool, warm, harmonize, regulate, and reverse a counter flow in order to create homeostasis or balance in your body. Based on your pattern of disharmony, your practitioner will choose points for you, to give you the desired balance and harmony.
How to be prepared for your first treatment
You will be given a health history questionnaire and privacy and consent forms before the first session. These should be completed and brought to the first session. All information is confidential in compliance with the federal HIPAA privacy practices.
It is best not to eat a heavy meal right before your treatment, but also avoid coming hungry, if possible. Wear loose-fitting clothes that can easily give access up to the knees and elbows without restriction. And, if possible, allow access to the abdomen and lower back. Back treatments may require the use of a gown, and/or sheet covering.
Initial visits are about one-and-a-half hours long, and follow-up visits are approximately one hour. NADA addiction treatments and certain other treatments may be less than an hour.
How many treatments are needed?
Minor acute injuries or illness may require only one or two visits. Seasonal issues and less serious injuries may require 3-5 treatments. Chronic conditions and more serious injuries may take 5-10 visits before there is healing and/or significant change. Long-standing chronic concerns may take several months for resolution, with incremental improvements.
Generally, the longer the history of the condition or disease, the longer the treatment, though at times improvement may be surprisingly quick. Remember, acupuncture reminds the body of its own healing capabilities. It can restart a healing process that has been blocked and can at times speed normal healing.
Most often visits are scheduled weekly to accommodate schedule and budget. Initially, more frequent visits may result in a more speedy recovery. Later, as healing progresses, visits are spaced bi-weekly. Monthly visits allow adjustment and maintenance-type treatment. The Chinese recognize seasonal shifts as times for supportive balancing treatments.
Ben’s goal as your acupuncturist is to help you experience relief and healing as quickly as possible. Some people may feel relief immediately or in the days following. At times, the good effects of the treatments are cumulative and may only be apparent after a few visits to change the pattern. At other times, there is relief of pain, but repeated treatments are needed to change the standing, chronic pattern of the pain. Even the most difficult conditions should show improvement in 3-4 treatments.
