What to expect at your first visit to Acu-Nova.

 

Aug21

Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment backed by more than two thousand years of practice and research. (Well I havn’t been practising for 2000 years obviously, but I have been practising for 20)Acupuncture is used worldwide both as a primary and adjunctive treatment for a wide range of conditions. Generally, people find an acupuncture treatment to be a relaxing experience. This is especially so after they get over any initial concerns regarding needling.

The information below is intended to provide you with basic information regarding what you might experience with your first visit to see me here at Acu-Nova.

First Visit

Generally, your first visit is longer than your followup visits and may last from 1 to1½ hours and will involve me asking you lots of sometimes ‘unusual’ questions.

These initial questions are a very important part of the care that I can provide for you. many of these questions may seem entirely irrelevant to your condition, for example asking about your bowel movements when you came in for back pain or your psychological state when you came in for menstrual problems, may seem rather odd. But there are very good reason behind the questions.

The answers you provide to the questions, along with other basic diagnostic tools such as looking at yourtongue, feeling your pulse and examining the painful bits (i.e back, shoulder etc.,) allow me to tailor the treatment specifically to you.

This individualization of the treatments is one of the strong points of oriental medicine. It is why people may notice other changes within themselves after receiving acupuncture for a specific complaint. For example, some of my past patients who came to see me for a frozen shoulder have found that their constipation is relieved as well!

Your Diagnosis and Treatment

After these initial questions and examinations, I will be able to form a diagnosis and treatment plan and will begin the acupuncture treatment. In most cases, I try to make the initial treatment as conservative as possible to ensure that you are comfortable and to allow me to see how well you respond to the acupuncture.

Based on your diagnosis the initial treatment may use 3 – 10 acupuncture points. For example, an initial treatment for headache may use these three points: TH 5, GB 20 and LI 4.

TH 5

GB 20

LI4

Generally speaking, I will try to explain in as simple a way as possible your diagnosis in Chinese medical terms. It can be a bit confusing as the terminology we use to describe your condition. E.g “a diagnosis of Kidney Qi and Yin Deficiency” may not mean very much to you. It could even make you think there is something wrong with your physical Kidneys when it is likely that there is not. However, I do think it is important that I try to help you understand the very basics of Qi, energy flow and a few basic idea’s of how the organ system works in Chinese medicine, and in fact when I do, it often brings up some more interesting diagnostic tools…. going back to the frozen shoulder problem for example… often when I explain to people that the main meridian that I treat in this condition is called the Colon or large Intestine and the pathway of this meridian is from the thumb up along the arm over the shoulder to the face it may explain why along with the pain in your shoulder you have also been suffering with a change in your bowel habit…. interesting stuff!

Large intestine meridian

After your treatment I will give my opinion as to how many sessions I think you may need and over what period of time. I also like to offer some tips and advice on various beneficial lifestyle changes which may help to improve your overall condition. This may include dietary changes, exercise, meditation, etc.

Needles and other techniques

• What are the needles like?  The needles used for acupuncture are both sterile and extremely thin. Most people are surprised to see how thin the needles actually are. They range in width from approximately 0.14 mm to 0.30 mm and in length from 15 mm (0.5 inch) to 75 mm (3 inches). The most commonly used needle is a 25 mm (1 inch) 0.25 mm width needle. Generally, they are inserted about 1-5 mm into the body – deeper on fleshy areas such as the buttocks.

• What will I feel?  The sensation you will feel when being needled is generally fairly minimal.  In fact sometimes you will feel almost nothing, while at others the needle will be rotated slightly until you feel a heavy or achy feeling this tells me that I have reached the spot where we can ‘manipulate’ the Qi.

• How long will the treatment last?  After the needles are inserted you are usually left to rest for a period of 10 – 45 minutes, although occasionally the needles are inserted quickly and removed immediately. Most people feel fairly relaxed during this period and simply fall asleep.In many cases your treatment may consist of points on the front and back of your body so  I may insert needles on the front, let you rest for awhile and then remove them, have you turn over and continue the treatment on your back.

• What other techniques may be part of my treatment?  Acupuncture is simply one facet of oriental medicine. Within an acupuncture treatment an acupuncturist may choose to utilize various other techniques depending on your condition.. These may include the following:

1. Electro-acupuncture - the acupuncture needles are stimulated with an electric charge delivered from a machine. This is used often and effectively in patients dealing with pain.
2. Moxibustion - this involves the burning of an herb – Artemesia Vulgaris – either on the top of a needle or on the skin directly. This is used often in patients who are dealing with cold or stagnant conditions such as certain types of abdominal cramps.
3. Cupping - this involves the use of glass or plastic cups which are placed on the body with suction to help remove toxins and muscle tension. They are used often in patients with immune issues such as a cold as well as for pain.
4. Massage – this is targeted towards the meridians and acupuncture points. It is used for a wide variety of conditions.

Prognosis and Treatment Plans

A definitive prognosis is always difficult to formulate, especially following an initial consultation. After the first 2-3 treatments, however, I should have a good understanding of your condition and be able to offer you a reasonable idea of how many treatments you will need.

While many people will feel some change in their condition immediately or within the first 2-3 treatments, others with more serious or chronic conditions will need many months of treatment before a significant change occurs. If you are not noticing any changes it does not mean that acupuncture is not helping you. Many times the changes are slow and somewhat subtle as the entire body begins to re-balance from the condition. During these initial stages I can usually guage the relative effectiveness of the treatments through more precise questioning and by monitoring subtle changes in your tongue and pulse.

In the most general terms possible, 1 month of treatment may be necessary for each year that a condition has been active. For example, if you have had painful periods for the past 5 years you may need approximately 5 months of treatment before you will see a resolution. If you are experiencing acute back pain, you may receive immediate relief of the acute pain but may need further treatments to account for the underlying factors which led to the acute flareup.

As part of your overall treatment plan, I may also prescribe lifestyle and dietary changes to help you re-balance your body and mind. Some dietry changes may be beneficial as may excercises, some may be specific I.e. for a back problem or maybe just general exercise tips such as walking, cycling or swimming.

I hope by reading this you feel a little more comfortable with the idea of trying acupuncture. If you would like some more information please feel free to give me a call and come along for a FREE consultation and mini treatment. 971468435/676333065