During treatment, the needles will be placed in various points on your body, then you will be left to relax with the needles in place for roughly 30 minutes. We may be using points on the torso, back, legs, or arms so loose, comfortable clothing that can be pulled up to access these areas is best. If removing some articles of clothing for treatment, we have very lightweight paper sheets available for cover if you prefer. Some patients bring clothes that they change into before treatment, such as shorts or a skirt and tank top.
During your first consultation, the practitioner will collect a complete history and detailed evaluation of your condition. The acupuncturist will ask questions relating to many different aspects of your life, not only the condition for which you are seeking treatment. The initial visit usually lasts 1.5 hours including the treatment and filling out forms. Subsequent visits usually last about 1 hour. The initial consultation is included in the first appointment at no extra cost.
It is best to eat a light meal before your appointment so that your body has energy to work with. Sometimes a person who has not eaten will feel lightheaded or weak when receiving an acupuncture treatment. In this case, inform your practitioner immediately and they will take the appropriate actions.
Do not engage in strenuous activity, drink alcohol, smoke excessively, or ingest heavy meals before or after your treatment. This will allow the body to adjust to the effects of the acupuncture.
Acupuncture typically takes a series of treatments to get the best results. It is rare for any acupuncturist to be able to resolve a problem in one treatment. The number of treatments you will need depends on the nature of your problem as well as your overall health, your age, and how you respond to acupuncture. Problems that have been around for a long time usually take more treatments to resolve than ones that have come about recently. A general rule of thumb is for problems older than one year, it usually takes at least 10 treatments to resolve the problem. Acute problems typically take fewer treatments, ranging anywhere from 3-10 treatments.
Treatments are done on a weekly basis, usually twice a week for the first two to three weeks, and once a week thereafter. Once the condition has been controlled and you are symptom-free, the treatments are done less frequently.
