FAQ:
Q: What happens during first acupuncture treatment?
A: During your first acupuncture treatment, you can expect several key steps as you meet with your acupuncturist for an initial consultation and session:
Initial Consultation: Your acupuncturist will start by asking you about your medical history, including any health conditions you have, medications you're taking, and any symptoms or concerns you want to address with acupuncture. They may also ask about your lifestyle, diet, sleep patterns, stress levels, and other factors that could impact your health.
Assessment: Your acupuncturist will conduct a physical assessment, which may include checking your pulse, examining your tongue, and palpating acupuncture points or areas of discomfort on your body. These assessments help your acupuncturist identify patterns of disharmony or imbalance in your body's energy (qi) and determine the most appropriate acupuncture treatment plan for you.
Explanation of Treatment: Your acupuncturist will explain the acupuncture treatment process, including how acupuncture works, what to expect during the session, and any potential sensations you might experience, such as tingling, warmth, or a dull ache at the insertion sites.
Acupuncture Treatment: Once you're comfortable and informed, your acupuncturist will proceed with the acupuncture treatment. They will select specific acupuncture points based on your individual condition and insert thin, sterile needles into these points. The needles are typically left in place for around 15 to 30 minutes while you relax comfortably on a treatment table.
Q: How long does a typical treatment last?
A: First treatment is usually longer as it involves an in-depth diagnostics of the systems and physical assessment. First treatment can be 1 hour 15 minutes or 1 hour and 30 minutes. Follow-up treatments are 45 minutes long.
Q: Does it hurt?
A: As the needles are inserted, you may feel a slight prick or tingling sensation, warmth, heaviness, or a dull ache. These sensations are usually mild and very temporary.
Q: How many treatments will I need?
A: Without initial diagnosis it is not possible to state how many treatments one will need. Some conditions improve after one or a few treatments whilst other more chronic conditions would require a longer period of treatments to improve. The practitioner will be able to give a clearer idea on how many treatments might be needed during the first session.
Q: Where can I find some scientific research about benefits of acupuncture?
A: In order to comply with trading standards please visit British Acupuncture Council website, where you will be able to search for the condition in question. For example follow this link to read up more about the benefits of acupuncture for back pain:
https://acupuncture.org.uk/fact-sheets/back-pain-fact-sheet/#:~:text=There%20were%2012%20trials%20that,superior%20to%20no%20acupuncture%20controls.