What to Expect
Initial Consultation
Acupuncture is a holistic medicine that tackles the root of the illness and is tailored to treat each individual’s unique presenting condition.
Frequency and length of treatment depends on your individual condition. Some change is usually felt after five treatments, although occasionally only one or two treatments are required. Some patients may need treatment over several months or long-term.
You will get an idea of length of treatment after the initial consultation and I undertake regular reviews to check that satisfactory progress is being made. My aim is to see a positive result after every acupuncture session, and if this is the case then I find that patients are not too concerned about length of treatment just so long as encouraging progress is made.
During your initial consultation I will ask detailed questions about your current symptoms as well as the general state of your heath in order to build up a comprehensive picture of your condition. After the discussion I will take your pulse on both wrists and examine your tongue. Taking the pulse in Traditional Chinese Medicine differs enormously from Western Medicine as it is an important diagnostic tool which helps give important information about your current state of health. A physical examination would be necessary for any muscular-skeletal problems and it is common practice to palpate along acupuncture channels for a wide range of ailments.
Treatment
Acupuncture has a very sound track record. During treatment very fine, sterile, one-use only needles are used and the needling sensation is often described a tingling or dull ache. The acupuncture points used are not always close to the part of the body where you experience the problem. For example, although you might suffer from headaches, needles may be inserted in your foot or hand.
If you are still unsure about needles then I can give treatments using massage, cupping (where suction cups are used to treat predominantly musculo-skeletal problems) or acupressure where acupuncture points are pressed with the fingertips.
