What Happens in an Acupuncture Treatment?

In your first acupuncture treatment session the acupuncturist will take a full medical history as well as discussing your current health concerns.

They may check your eyes, tongue and pulse to gain further insight into your health.  They will ask you a range of questions to determine how the energy, blood, oxygen and nutrients are flowing through your body,  make a diagnosis and design an acupuncture treatment specifically for your body in its current state of health. 

Some of the questions you are asked might seem irrelevant to your current complaint however they are helping us to determine how your entire body is functioning which is vital to creating the best treatment plan for your current complaint and your overall health.  

What happens next?

Once the acupuncturist has developed a treatment plan they will discuss this with you and with your approval begin the treatment. This treatment may consist of acupuncture, electro acupuncture, cupping, gua sha, massage, and Chinese herbal medicine.  You may need to remove some clothing for these procedures and your acupuncturist will explain this to you, then leave the room so you may undress.  Towels are provided for you to drape across yourself in order to feel comfortable and not exposed.  The needles only take a few minutes to put in place.  Your acupuncturist will then check you are comfortable and leave you to relax for a period of 10-40 minutes. Most patients are now feeling so relaxed that they tend to fall asleep during this period.  After the acupuncture treatment time is complete the acupuncturist will remove all needles and your treatment is complete.

How long does it take?

The treatment times vary from person to person based on their condition.  Your first session can go from 45 minutes to 90 minutes.  Follow up sessions can take from 30 minutes to an hour.

At the end of your session you may notice you feel very relaxed and sometimes drowsy.  The feeling of relaxation may last anywhere from days to weeks however the drowsiness wears off after approximately 15-30 minutes.  A large number of our clients come during their lunch break and then return to work with no issues in their mental clarity.