Preparing For Your Treatment

The following suggestions are provided to help you have a safe and relaxing experience with acupuncture. If you have any questions, please contact me prior to your first visit.

• Please bring a list of current medications you are taking, including any prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements, and vitamins. I can make a photocopy for your file.

• Please bring any lab or medical reports relevant to your condition.

• Eat a light meal a few hours prior to your visit. Having low blood sugar increases the risk of nausea dizziness or fainting. At the same time, please do not overeat or eat any foods that cause your stomach to be upset (for example, rich, greasy, fried, or extremely spicy foods).

• Avoid alcohol on the day of your treatment. Acupuncture is generally not performed on intoxicated individuals. It is also not advisable to become intoxicated shortly after treatment.

• Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Acupuncture points are located all over the body. Many of the acupuncture points that are commonly used are located between the wrists and elbows and the ankles and knees. You will be more comfortable if your clothing can be easily rolled up to your elbows and knees.

Initial Assessment

Your first visit will begin with an in-depth assessment of your condition and an initial treatment. The intake and treatment will take one to one and a half hours. All follow-up treatments last one hour. During the assessment, you may be asked about things that you might not think are connected to your chief complaint, such as your digestion, energy level, emotions, sleeping patterns, and eating habits. Chinese medicine considers the whole person, not just one isolated symptom. When put together, the myriad of symptoms and signs you are experiencing reveal patterns of disharmony. Although treatment will focus on your chief complaint, your entire constitution will be considered in order to develop the most appropriate course of treatment.

Treatment

Needles are typically retained for about 30 to 40 minutes. Soothing music may be played to help you relax during this time. You are welcome to bring your own music, podcasts, or audio books to listen to during your treatment. The experience is often so relaxing that many people even fall asleep. In addition to acupuncture, treatments may include infrared heat lamp, moxibustion, cupping, herbal prescriptions, supplements and other home therapy recommendations.

After Treatment

Your relief may be immediate, delayed for a few hours, or even develop after one to three days. The relief my last for a few hours on the first visit and then last longer with each successive treatment, or relief may last from the first treatment until your next visit. Individual response to treatment varies. It is important to understand that one should give acupuncture at least 3-4 treatments before we can conclude whether acupuncture is going to help your condition. The majority of patients will start to notice benefits after the very first treatment but sometimes it takes a short series of treatments in order to get the pain and inflammation under control and start to see results.

Side Effects

Side effects are rare, but may include feeling light headed, dizziness, fainting, sleepiness, nausea, slight bruising, and/or residual muscle aches and pain. Any of these side effects should only last a short time and are temporary. Eating something a few hours before a treatment and staying hydrated afterwards will help to minimize these side effects. Taking it easy and resting after your treatment is also helpful in order to give your body a chance to heal. Any side effects should be reported at your next visit.

Course of Treatment

A general course of treatment depends on the type of pain one is experiencing. Acute conditions usually only need 1-3 treatments, moderate conditions 4-6 treatments, and chronic conditions 8 to 12 treatments. Treatment frequency is usually once every one to two weeks. The affects of acupuncture tend to be cumulative so the more frequent the treatments, the quicker one heals. In China the standard protocol for patients is to receive acupuncture every day or every other day for one to two weeks. Ideally once we have the pain under control, coming in every month or two for preventative "checkups" or "tuneups” is also recommended.