FAQs about an Acupuncture treatment
Getting ready for your acupuncture appointment
What can you expect at your first treatment?
Will it hurt?
What to expect after your treatment?
Getting ready for your
acupuncture appointment
Please complete the patient information form via the online link sent in your booking email. This helps to extend treatment time as we already have important information.
A number of points are located on the arms, legs and feet so it is really helpful if you can wear loose fitting clothes to make it easy to access these areas.
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Avoid coffee, tea and alcohol at least ONE hour before your appointment as this can affect your pulse rate. Acupuncturists use the pulse to support their diagnosis. Please eat a meal as you would normally do. If you are in the habit of skipping breakfast it is important to try to eat something before your appointment to avoid feeling dizzy or faint.
What can you expect at your first treatment?
The acupuncturist will take a full medical history and ask a range of health questions before making a diagnosis. Some of the questions may appear to be irrelevant from a Western medical perspective. This is because TCM looks at the whole body as well as the function of the organs from a different perspective. Please feel free to ask questions during your treatment so that you understand the approach being taken.
Will it hurt?
An acupuncture needle is 0.1mm thick whilst a medical syringe needle is 2.5mm in diameter. Patients often say they didn't even feel the needle. The needle can occasionally feel like a slight prick on insertion.
When the needle is inserted you will be asked to let the acupuncturist know when you feel a sensation. Sensation can vary from one location to another but is generally felt as tingling, an electrical sensation, a small sharp prick which is very brief or a dull ache.
What to expect after your treatment
The response after each treatment can vary but usually patients feel either full of energy or very relaxed. If your body needs to heal, you can feel tired so please ensure that you can rest after your treatment if needed. Some patients do not feel any difference until the next day. Please note that acupuncture is cumulative so any long term condition may take a few sessions before you start to notice an improvement.
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If you have had cupping or Gua sha done it is important to keep that area of the body warm at all times and to drink water after the treatment. Any cold air reaching the muscles in the area can cause muscle spasms.