How to make the best of your treatment time

What to do before acupuncture

Please wear comfortable clothes that can be easily pulled up to the knees and elbows.  In addition, please eat a snack within the hour that you come in for treatment.  If you haven’t eaten recently, you may feel dizzy during acupuncture and we will need to end the session early. Consider making a list of symptoms or concerns between appointments that you can hand to me so I can quickly review your updates.

What to do in the treatment room before your treatment

Please turn off your cell phone during the treatment.  If you would like water or hot tea, please help yourself to what is available.   

Timing

Regular treatments are scheduled every 30 minutes. A new patient should arrive 15 minutes early to accommodate the need for paperwork and a longer evaluation if necessary. A typical treatment lasts an hour. Please be on time, or a few minutes early. We will make every attempt to treat you at the time you are scheduled, and to get you out on time. When a patient comes late, we will do what we can to get the patient started as soon as possible, but we prioritize the patients who are present for their appointed time slot. In the case that you arrive late, you may be delayed on starting right away, and will likely not get done at your appointed time. If you need to leave at a certain time, please tell me when you check in!  We will make every effort that you are out on time.  If you are uncomfortable during your treatment, please let me know when I come in to check on you.  I will help adjust things so you are comfortable.  

What to do after acupuncture

Take time to rest the evening after your treatment. Think “Everything in moderation!”  Avoid excessive alcohol, or eating in excess for 24 hours after your treatment. Try to avoid working longer hours, working out harder then you normally would, or staying up late. You may feel a lot of energy during the days after your treatment, and may sleep very well. Your body needs this energy to continue healing, and to get the best results for your treatment.    

What to expect after acupuncture

For the next 24 – 48 hours you should notice a gradual to dramatic improvement in your symptoms.  Some patients notice nothing at all. For some individuals, they wake the morning after a treatment with a significant change.  For 10 – 15 percent of patients, they may have aggravated symptoms for the 24 – 48 hours after, and then feel much better after that.  Although having more pain after your treatment is counter-intuitive, this is a very good sign that the treatment will be particularly effective.  Please take note of how long your relief lasts, and when your symptoms start up again. These patterns are useful for us to plan your visit frequency, as well as help you gauge your progress over time.  You may also not notice any change or improvement in your condition and you may require a series of treatments before you notice a change.

Keys for Getting Well:  Commitment

Acupuncture is a process.  It is very rare for any acupuncturist to be able to resolve a problem with one treatment.  In China, a typical treatment protocol for a chronic condition could be acupuncture every day or every other day for three months!  Most of our patients don’t need that much acupuncture, but virtually every patient requires a course of treatment, rather than a single treatment, in order to get what they want from acupuncture.  All of my satisfied patients have made a commitment to a course of treatment.

On your first visit, we will suggest a treatment schedule which will be anything from “I’d like to see you once a week for six weeks” to “I’d really like to see you every day for the next 2 weeks, and then twice a week for several weeks”.  This suggestion is based on our experience with treating different kinds of conditions.  If you think you need to adjust your treatment plan, please let us know.  This is the best way to get good results.