Acupuncture Treatments

 

During your initial acupuncture consultation and treatment, you will be asked about your:

• medical history
• diet
• stress levels
• activity level
• sleep habits
• emotional state
• digestion, etc. 

Because acupuncture is a holistic treatment, it is important to find out as much information as is necessary to begin to distinguish a pattern. 

You will then be asked to lie on a treatment table where your pulse will be evaluated, your abdomen will be carefully examined and points along your arms and legs will be palpated.  These areas of your body will aid in reaching an appropriate treatment plan.  The pulse, abdomen and channels along the arms and legs contain invaluable information that will determine the course of your acupuncture treatment.

Once the physical evaluation is complete, you will be coached in a proper breathing technique which will help you relax during your treatment.  This method of diaphragmatic breathing can be practiced at any time outside of your treatment as well; it is beneficial in creating a sense of calm.

After you have learned this breathing technique, there will be very little speaking during your session.  The purpose of this is to stimulate a sense of deep relaxation.  Speaking should be limited to comments or concerns about the sensations you are experiencing during the placement of the needles.

Ultra thin, sterile needles will then be placed throughout your body.  The needling is completely painless!  The points are determined by the findings of the initial consultation and the physical examination. 

Once the needles are placed, you will continue the diaphragmatic for the duration of the treatment, which is approximately thirty minutes.  The lights in the room will be dimmed and you will begin to experience the deep sense of relaxation which acupuncture can produce.  This deep level of relaxation along with the stimulation of acupuncture points allows your body to create a state of balance within itself.  Endorphins are being released by your body, the sympathetic nervous system is relaxing and the body is healing.

Your treatment concludes by the quite removal of the acupuncture needles.  You will feel very relaxed, but energized.  It is recommended to take a few minutes to take notice of how you are feeling. 

It is common during a series of acupuncture treatments to experience various beneficial side effects.  These may include, improvement is sleeping habits, better digestion, higher energy level and positive mental outlook.  Although these may not be your reasons for receiving acupuncture, they are good indications that you are becoming healthier and more balanced.

You are encouraged to keep a mental note of any subtle changes that you might be experiencing during your daily life. Such as, “I’m not waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom like I used to.” 

Acupuncture creates small changes in one’s body, which over time have a long term cumulative effect on your body. 

We welcome you to experience this time tested form of medicine.