How to Prepare for an Acupuncture Visit

What should I expect?

Time and frequency of treatments will very with the individual. Some treatments take only a few minutes, some over an hour. Sometimes we need to see you only once a week, or every other week will do, but other times two or three appointments a week may be necessary. This can be dependent on how long the disease has been present, and how severe it is. Form the treatment phase, sessions decrease in frequency to a maintenance phase and we like to see people at the change of seasons for the prevention of colds, flu, etc. Our patients call this a tune up.

Everyone?s response to treatment is different, so we don't have programs or rigid expectations. Some people quickly feel much better, while some don't notice any change in the short run, but will see how far they have come when they look back to when they first came in. Even though part of you wants to get better, old habits and inclinations can slow or stop the process. improvement can be slow, two steps forward and one back. About one-fifth of patients experience what is called a "healing crisis" or aggravation. This usually happens after the first treatment, where symptoms get worse. This actually is a good sign and will go away in about twenty-four hours. If not, contact the clinic an we can take care of the problem. Often the first changes to occur improve the overall state of health, and one will experience better sleeping, feeling more relaxed or ?even?. A feeling of lightness and well-being are also common. As we treat the whole person, emotional, mental and physical changes happen together. The symptoms might still be present, but they will lessen with time. Since it took time to get the disease, it will take time to fix it.

How do I prepare for a visit?

• Please wear comfortable clothes to the appointment if possible. You can bring CD's and tapes with you to listen to or we have an extensive library here.
• Do not take a hot bath or Jacuzzi before or after treatment unless told to do so by the clinic staff.
• No alcohol or marijuana use before or after the appointment.
• Do not eat a heavy meal before or after the session.
• No strenuous emotional or physical work before or after treatment.
• Bring all medications and other health tests with you such as x-rays, blood tests, etc.
• If you are taking steroids (prednisone, deltasone and "-sone" drugs please tell the clinic when you make the appointment.
• Bring all insurance information with you.

And the most asked question: Do the needles hurt?

There may be some discomfort as the needle goes through the skin. There also may be tender spots on the ear or body, but once the needle is in, there should not be any pain. There will be what to us are strange sensations, which we call pain. However, we don't have any good words to really describe these sensations. An electric feeling, distention, a warm or cold sensation, or just plain "weird" are words our patients say. Also, some people describe the sensations as colors. This is what is called obtaining the "Qi" or "deqi" in Chinese. This is common and normal. Sometimes this needling sensation lasts for hours after the session, and this is even better.

Please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions or comments. We also have the best Massage Therapists in town, who can provide a variety of techniques for therapy or relaxation. We accept MasterCard/ VISA and have payment plans available, if your insurance will not cover us. And. . . . We are Caremark Providers for on-the-job injuries.