During the first appointment I will ask a number of questions to make a diagnosis of your main complaint and to get an overall picture of your health. I will then take a look at your tongue and feel your pulses and carry out an examination of any external physical complaints.
Follow-up sessions will involve a discussion of your progress along with the appropriate treatment for that time.
You will feel a difference after your first acupuncture treatment but to see a permanent shift in your health you will need to complete a course of treatment.
For basic acute conditions you should see a significant improvement after 6 treatments.
For chronic and more complex cases you should see a significant improvement after 10-12 treatments.
You will need to come twice a week for the first 1-2 weeks and as long as your symptoms are improving you will need to then come once every 1-2 weeks for the remainder of the treatment plan.
After you have completed a course of treatment you will need to return for a follow-up monthly tune-up to prevent symptoms returning.
Remember some acupuncture is better than no acupuncture so even if you can’t come as often as you’d like still give it a go. However you may find that treatment is not effective or that your symptoms take a lot longer to improve if you do not come as often as outlined above.
The needling sensation is often described as a dull ache, warmth or a tingling sensation. The needles used are extremely fine and treatment should not be painful. In general patients report feeling relaxed during and after treatment.