YOUR FIRST VISIT:
Your first visit requires approximately 1-1/2 hours. During the first 30 to 40 minutes, we explore your health history, treatment objectives, and overall health goals. Next, is a physical exam from a Chinese Medicine perspective. This includes an examination of pulse and tongue, sensing temperatures of the limbs and trunk, and observing other physical signs, followed by the treatment. Typically, we will begin treatment with a "clearing treatment". For those who have not had energetic work before, a clearing treatment is important to help recalibrate the body, similarly to clearing out the weeds of a garden before planting new bulbs. Time permitting, we will proceed with a Five Element treatment that potentially relates to your "CF", your causitive factor, how you show up in life and nature. Some suggestions for your first visit:
- Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
- Do not wear perfume or heavily scented lotions, particularly for the first few treatments.
- Please be sure to eat a light meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) prior to treatment.
- Continue all prescribed medications, just as your doctor has recommended
- Try to allow a lighter schedule in the hours following treatment. You may return to work if desired.
- To maximize your treatment, it is recommend that you refrain from alcohol, for 24 hours after treatment.
Subsequent visits, which require 50-55 minutes, begin with listening to how you are doing since your last visit, followed by a treatment, and recommendations for ways to support your progress at home. During treatment, you will be lying on a comfortable treatment table, enjoying music or nature sounds. As acupuncture may not serve everyone, it is important to complete the initial series of 6 - 8 weekly visits to realize the full benefits of acupuncture treatment. After the initial series, visits can be spaced more widely. Many people find that they feel better overall with acupuncture treatment, from better sleep, to more energy, to an increased sense of peace and ease. Some choose to continue acupuncture at a lesser frequency, every two weeks, monthly, or at the change of season, to enhance these benefits. This is referred to as "maintenance".
Safety & Sterility
We use only the highest quality needles which are renown for their comfort (Seirin brand). The needles are sterile, single use, and disposable, and nationally-established protocols for Clean Needle Technique (CNT) are followed. Acupuncture is recognized as one of the safest medical treatments available when performed by a properly trained and licensed practitioner. A good review of acupuncture safety is found at the National Institutes of Health web site.
Partnering with You
Naturally, acupuncture treatment is at it's most powerful when clients adopt lifestyle habits and practices that promote vibrant health. You may only see your acupuncturist for an hour a week, and what happens during the rest of the week can either help, or hinder, an optimal treatment outcome.
Part of our work together in the treatment room is to develop new skills and habits that support your health and healing into the future. Often, our symptoms are teachers, wise guides pointing the way to a healthy path. Learning to listen to them is among the best things we can do to promote good health and wellbeing.
Your practitioner can give you tips on ways you may be able to self-treat in between sessions. This is especially helpful for conditions like anxiety, migraines, and constipation when you may need immediate relief.