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Acupuncture
treatments vary from one practitioner to
another, depending on their style of practice
and approach towards healing. This is a
description of what to expect at Eternal Circle
Acupuncture.
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Initial Consultation |
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You
may wish to have a free initial
consultation (about 20 minutes) to meet
your practitioner and discuss your
health concerns. You will learn what
benefit you can expect from acupuncture
and get some insight into your health
from a Chinese Medicine perspective. |
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Paperwork |
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Before arriving
for your first visit, there is some
paperwork to fill out – an extensive
heath history questionnaire and a
consent form. This gives the
practitioner an idea of your symptoms,
habits and general health. You can
download these forms
here.
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Intake |
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After reviewing
your forms your acupuncturist will do a
complete intake, which includes an
interview that covers every aspect of
your life; sleep, energy, digestion,
elimination, menstruation, emotions,
pain patterns, etc. Some questions may
seem unrelated, but every detail helps
paint a picture of your overall
condition. Next, he will feel the pulses
of both wrists, examine your tongue and
even palpate your abdomen or areas of
pain. |
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Diagnosis |
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After gathering all of the information
from the intake and physical observations
the practitioner will decide on a
diagnosis, treatment plan and point
prescription based on Chinese
medical theory. Now is your chance to
lie down on the treatment table and
listen to some relaxing music. Your
practitioner will wash his hands and
then swab the treatment areas with
alcohol and a cotton ball. |
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Needle
description |
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At Eternal Circle
Acupuncture we only use sterile,
disposable needles that are packaged
singly and opened right before
insertion. The needles are extremely
thin, not much thicker than a hair. They
are very sharp to provide painless
insertion and come packaged inside a
small plastic tube. |
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Needle
insertion |
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Before insertion
into the acupuncture point, the tube
with the needle is placed on the skin.
Take a deep breath in and as you let it
out the needle is quickly tapped into
place and the tube is removed. The
acupuncturist will then adjust the
needle to the correct depth. Usually
during insertion an area near the point
will be tapped with a finger to disperse
nerve sensation to the area. |
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Does it hurt? |
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Some people are
more sensitive than others, but overall
the whole process is virtually painless.
Sometimes during insertion there can be
a very slight prick, but this will
subside after a few seconds.
Occasionally, the needle will enter a
hair follicle (the needles are that
thin!). This can be uncomfortable, like
a pinch or a mosquito bite. In this rare
case, the needle will be removed, and
we’ll try that point again later in the
treatment. Your comfort is important to
us and we will check in with you
throughout the treatment, but feel free
to let us know what you’re experiencing
and we can adjust our technique for your
individual comfort level.
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Sensations |
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Pain is not a
part of the therapeutic response, but
other sensations are. You may feel a
dull ache, a mild burning, or electrical
impulses that may travel up or down the
body. This means that the point is being
activated and is not only normal, but
expected. To achieve the most benefit
from acupuncture, the needles may be
manipulated during the treatment to
produce these positive responses. Most
sensations will subside quickly and you
may even forget that the needles are
there! Our technique is gentle and
compassionate and we can adjust the
needles if for any reason they don’t
feel right. |
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Acutonics |
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After all of the
points are treated, the acupuncturist
may use Acutonics tuning forks on
different parts of the body. This is a
relaxing form of sound healing that
compliments acupuncture really well. The
harmonious vibrations are calming and
help to balance the subtle energies of
the body. |
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Time to rest |
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After
making sure you are comfortable and warm
enough,
the
practitioner will then step out of the
room. You will
have 15-40 minutes on the table to let
the needles have their affect. Some
people have the most wonderful
experiences during this time. You may
fall asleep, enter a dreamstate, or feel
subtle sensations throughout your body.
We’ll check in one or two times during
your rest and maybe adjust the needles
again before removing them. |
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Afterwards |
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Take your time
getting off the table, there’s no hurry.
Afterward we’ll have a chance to make
another appointment or discuss herbal
prescriptions and lifestyle advice. |
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Length
of treatment |
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Your first
treatment will last about an hour and a
half and subsequent visits are about
hour long. Pay attention to how you feel
over the next few days. Some people are
energized and others can feel tired
after their treatment. Most people
experience relief from their symptoms
the following day and throughout the
week, but everyone is different.
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How many
Treatments? |
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Results vary, but
a general rule of thumb is that for
every year that you have had a
condition, expect 1 month of weekly
treatments. So if you’ve had back pain
for the last 3 years it would take about
3 months for the condition to resolve
completely. Of course, that depends on
lifestyle habits (i.e. heavy lifting
every day vs. taking it easy), cause of
condition (structural vs. energetic),
frequency of treatments. It’s best to
review your progress every 6 weeks to
re-evaluate the prognosis. |
