What to expect at your first acupuncture appointment
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Before Your Appointment
Please arrive 10-15 minutes early to fill out New Patient Paperwork
Eat prior to your appointment in order to avoid feeling dizzy or lightheaded after treatment.
Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing that can easily be rolled up and adjusted.
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During Treatment
1)We will sit down with you and review your health history. We’ll ask you detailed questions about your digestion, sleep, pain, as well as current symptoms, diet, and lifestyle.
2) We will have you lie down on a treatment table and relax while we take your pulse, as this is a traditional diagnostic method used to understand and diagnose your overall health.
3)We’ll also take a quick look at your tongue. The tongue is the only muscle we can see inside of the body and it provides insight into the health of your microbiome (gut health), how well blood is circulating, and if there is any inflammation present.
4) We’ll use fine, single-use, acupuncture needles at acupuncture points to address any imbalances and reduce pain. Don’t worry, acupuncture needles are very thin- approximately as thin as a strand of hair. Some patients report no feeling, while others report a quick prick at insertion that fades in 1-3 seconds. It’s normal to feel relaxed and sleepy during your acupuncture sessions, or to feel like you have a boost of energy. Patients might also experience a heavy sensation in their body, or tingling and dull aches. Needles will generally be retained for 20-40 minutes and during this time you can relax and listen to soothing music.
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After Your Appointment
After your acupuncture session, We’ll talk about a treatment plan that’s best suited for your condition. After acupuncture, it’s normal to feel:
-relaxed- acupuncture stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is our “rest and digest” state.
-energized or “zen”- acupuncture releases endorphins which may have you feeling either energized or “zen”.
-sore-soreness usually subsides in 24 hours and can occur especially if we worked on tight muscles and pain.
-If you have any additional questions feel free to reach us by phone or email