WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT

Our Space

We’ve partnered with Collective Wellness to create a diverse and holistic healing environment for you. Together we strive to create a peaceful healing space that’s distinct from everyday life. From the moment you step through the door of our office at Collective Wellness you’ll feel the shift.

There are two spaces on our first floor where you can relax prior to your scheduled appointment time. The first space, where you enter, is light and airy. The second space is our Tranquility Room. It’s a darker, softer, meditative space. In both spaces please feel free to help yourself to water or tea. You’re also free to use these spaces following your appointment, should you wish to decompress a bit before heading back out to the “real world”.

Your First Appointment

For your first treatment we set aside about two hours. This allows us to resolve a detailed and holistic picture of your health, and understand your health goals and values. We ask that you please arrive on time so that we are able to spend the maximum amount of time on your intake and treatment. Except in special circumstances, follow-up treatments will normally take 45 minutes.

By dressing in comfortable loose-fitting clothing you can often reduce the amount of disrobing or reconfiguration you may have to do. Please be assured that no matter how you dress, your privacy and dignity will always be respected.

For the best experience we highly recommend all new patients print and fill out the initial forms for new patients in advance. This will allow for a more relaxed pace for your intake and treatment process, and for optimal results.

The Intake Process

Your first acupuncture begins with the most comprehensive health history and assessment you have probably ever experienced. We do this for two reasons. The first reason is that we want you to experience vibrant health in every area. Even if you come for help with sleeping for example, we want to know about your headaches and indigestion, even if they don’t bother you too badly. The second reason is that your symptoms provide diagnostic information about what is happening “under the hood” in your body. The symptoms you experience tell a story about what is happening with your body’s various systems and in what way they are balanced or imbalanced. In fact, often symptoms which may seem completely unrelated to you are seen as coming from the same imbalance when we look through the lens of Chinese Medicine!

After we are done discussing your health your acupuncturist will ask to feel your pulse. Pulse diagnosis is an ancient technique that provides additional detail about what is going on inside your body. Both the rate but the quality of your pulse at various depths will be assessed. This can provide a surprising amount of detail about your health.

Finally, your tongue will be briefly examined. Tongue diagnosis is another ancient Chinese diagnostic technique. Where the pulse tells more about the function of the body systems, the tongue tells more about the structure and substance. Please avoid foods which may stain the tongue in the hour or two before your treatment.

The Treatment Process

Most people find the experience of receiving acupuncture to be quite enjoyable and relaxing. We will discuss what areas of the body we will be focusing on for your treatment that day. Minor adjustments such has rolling up sleeves or pant legs are often necessary. If you need to make a wardrobe change into a gown or shorts you will be given privacy. We will then get you positioned for the treatment.

The treatment may involve the use of fine (hair-like) needles, performing moxibustion (heat therapy), cupping, guasha (skin scraping) or other techniques. Please see the FAQ and Learning Center for more information about these techniques. If needles will be involved in your treatment your acupuncturist will check in one final time to make sure that you are comfortable after they have all been inserted. At that point you may be left to rest for a certain amount of time (often about twenty minutes) while the treatment works.

Wrap-up

At the conclusion of treatment your needles will be removed. Your pulses will be rechecked, and you’ll be asked how you feel. It is critical that you have an understanding of your diagnosis so that you can make informed choices as you go through your life. The best results can only be obtained when we work as a team– partners on a mission of creating vibrant health for you. We’ll talk about steps you’ll be working on support your healing process and discuss the next steps in your treatment plan.

We will normally schedule your next appointment, or series of appointments, at this time. Please come prepared with your calendar or planner so you are able to do so.

That will conclude your treatment.