FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

1. What should I expect...

 

...at my first appointment?

 

New patient appointments take approximately 1 hour. The practitioner will take a detailed health history, perform a physical exam, and provide you with your unique treatment plan. During your first exam, the practitioner will spend time getting to know you and your health concerns. You may be asked a wide range of questions about your symptoms, eating, exercise, sleep habits, emotional states and anything that may offer insight into your health.

 

...with the actual acupuncture? Does it hurt?

 

Once a Chinese Medical diagnosis is reached, needles will be inserted at various 'points' on the body that address the imbalances found. Usually 4-12 needles are used. All needles are fine, pre-packaged,  and sterile. They are disposed of after use.  You may be surprised that you don’t feel a thing. If anything, you might feel a tiny pencil poke. But here’s the upside if you happen to be that small percentage of people who experience tenderness, It generally means your body will respond very well to treatment, plus we can use fewer needles and do less acupuncture to get fantastic results. You might feel a variety of sensations. Some people feel a mild aching, maybe a little bit of heaviness, a feeling of distention, or warmth. Any of those are really good signs—it means we’re stimulating the body correctly by activating nerves and connective tissue. But these should be comfortable sensations, or ones that you can relax through. If not, we can adjust the needles to decrease the amount of sensation you feel.

 

...after the treatment? How long should I seek treatment?

 

Some patients often experience immediate relief after treatment, they may require care every other week or once per month for several months to sustain improvement. Acute issues respond quickly and are typically resolved within one to three treatments.  A general rule of thumb for chronic or internal problems is to begin with 6 to 8 weekly treatments.  The length of treatment needed depends largely on how long an issue has been present. Changes in diet and lifestyle have great significance in the speed and longevity with which one's health improves. 

 

 

2. What about children...

 

...Can they get acupuncture too?

 

Yes of course! 

 

..Doesn't it hurt them? 

 

Acupuncture for kids is virtually painless.  We use a special needling technique using needles so fine they are about the size of a strand of hair.  For young children a rapid needling technique is used, where the needle is inserted and immediately taken out. Babies and children do not have to sit still for more than a few seconds at a time.

 

...are there alternatives to acupuncture?

 

We understand that not every child will undergo acupuncture.  A child is never forced to have acupuncture treatment and there are several other non-needle treatment techniques that your acupuncturist may use. They are easy, painless and have a similar therapeutic effect to acupuncture.

 

..how long should they get treatment?

 

As a whole children respond very well and quickly to acupuncture. Some issues are resolved in as little as 2 treatments. However, each child is unique and different, therefore so are treatment times.