How to Prepare for First Acupuncture

how to make you first acupuncture session as painless as possible

How to prepare your first acupuncture? Ready to give acupuncture a go, but not sure about the needles? Do you have the image of a porcupine when you thinking of acupuncture?

It is OK you are feeling a little nervous. Yet, most people who have tried acupuncture would admit that it is not the needle pain that hurts the most but the fear of unknowing! Don’t worry, this fear can be overcome by trusting your acupuncturist or when you are in desperation for a fix. Luckily, Dr. Chen has the talent to make you feel relaxed and gain your trust in no time.

How to make your first acupuncture session as painless as possible? The following steps will help you to prepare and understand what to do with your first acupuncture session.

Timing of the session

Please arrive 5 minutes earlier to your appointment to fill out a medical history form and allowing 90 minutes for your initial visit, 45 minutes to one hour on your follow-up visits.

Prepare your energy and documents

To get the most out of your treatment, we prefer that you arrive at your appointment neither hungry nor thirsty. This is because acupuncture works with the body’s energy, so you need a good supply for us to work with – some petrol in the tank, so to speak.

Please bring any relevant medical reports with you [e.g. recent x-rays, ultrasounds, or other scans for your pain, Basal Body Temperature (BBT) charts, ultrasounds, or blood tests for your fertility issue].

Steps in your first acupuncture session – the process

During your first visit, you will have a thorough and relevant discussion with Dr. Chen about your health concern, medical history, and lifestyle factors that may be contributing to your problem. Dr. Chen will check your tongue and pulse, conduct a pressure points examination relevant to your condition, and also ask questions about your general health, such as sleep quality and stress level. If suffer from pain, your consultation may also include some movement tests, to check your range of movement and identify the affected muscles or other soft tissue.

Then, he may explain the Chinese medicine diagnosis of your condition, and what your treatment plan involves. It contains an overview of treatments and guidance on diet and exercise that you can take to improve your health.

After that, you will have your first acupuncture treatment. If any other Chinese medicine therapies, such as cupping or moxibustion are recommended for you, these are performed in conjunction with your acupuncture at no extra cost.

After your session, a treatment plan can be created for you, which outlines the approximate number and frequency of visits that would be most beneficial for you.