Information for New Patients

Health Review

I like to schedule a full hour for our first meeting. This gives us time to review your health history and clarify goals for your treatment. We will discuss all of your bodily systems and any other symptoms or health concerns. You may not see these as directly related to your chief reason for receiving acupuncture treatment. But information that may not seem relevant to your area of concern often helps me understand patterns that can assist me in planning your treatment.

After this review of your health, you will be asked to lie on a massage table for a physical assessment. I will read pulses at your wrists and neck and feel energy channels, called meridians, to detect differences in temperature, texture and moisture. What I observe at these channels and points and what you report about these areas informs your treatment plan.

The Needles…

Hair-thin needles will be gently inserted into specific acupuncture points according to the feedback I get from the physical assessment. The needles are usually painless. Occasionally, the insertion of a needle may feel like a little pinch, or in rare instances, as strong as a bee sting.

The sensations that most patients feel does not come from the insertion of needles. Instead, the most common sensations are felt after the needle has been inserted and their qi, or vital energy, has met the needle. Some describe the sensation as pulsating, a dull ache, or sometimes as an electrical, traveling sensation as qi travels along its pathway in the body.

The length of time that I leave a needle in, the number of needles I use, the inserting and removing techniques I use will vary. Different points will need needling at different times during a treatment. I will check your pulses at the wrist after needles are removed, which will inform my decision whether or not to insert more needles, and if so, where.

Handwork

Handwork, sometimes called tui na, or Asian bodywork, is used after needling to encourage the continued flow of qi initiated by needling. Most patients enjoy the vigorous, purposeful movement of this handwork and often compare it to massage. I�ll read your pulses again at this point to determine whether the treatment is complete, or if more needling or handwork is needed.

Completion and Treatment Schedule

The treatment is done when the balance of your wrist pulses significantly improves, which ensures that qi is flowing in a more healthy way.

After leaving the table, the patient and the practitioner discuss an ideal treatment schedule and set the next visit, usually three to seven days following the initial visit.

Patient Forms

Download and fill out these forms and bring them with you on your first visit.