Acupuncture

What to expect during an acupuncture treatment:

The initial acupuncture treatment lasts about an hour and 40 minutes and consists of a comprehensive health history, examination, and acupuncture treatment. I will conduct a detailed health evaluation to identify the causes of your individual concerns. The information you provide on the forms you complete will help me to understand the nature of your condition as well as the overall state of your constitution. I will use Chinese Medicine diagnostic techniques including taking your pulse at both wrists and observing your tongue.

After I determine your diagnosis and your health goals, I will form a treatment plan incorporating acupuncture and other natural modalities. Recommendations will be made on how to get the most out of your treatments. There will be time for questions so you are part of the process and feel comfortable. I also provide a detailed report of findings that you can refer to so you don’t have to memorize everything we discuss.

During your acupuncture treatment sterile, ultra-fine needles are placed at several acupuncture points to help you with your specific needs. The hair thin needles come in sterile packaging, are only used once, and are disposed of immediately following your treatment.

You may feel a light tap when the needles are inserted just below the skin surface. Normally you rest for 20-40 minutes lying down on a comfortable table with the needles in. As you rest you may feel warmth, tingling, or heaviness around the needles. These sensations are normal and desirable. Acupuncture promotes relaxation and many people fall asleep during their treatment. Christina is a skilled and gentle practitioner and will make your acupuncture session pleasant and relaxing. It is common to feel calm and a general sense of well-being after your treatment, an indication that the body’s natural healing mechanisms have been activated.

Please make sure you have eaten within 1-2 hours before your treatment, wear comfortable clothing, and refrain from vigorous exercise after your treatment. Follow-up appointments last 60 minutes; you will report your progress and receive an acupuncture treatment.

The duration of treatments will depend on your medical condition, you current state of health, and how well you respond to acupuncture. In general acute conditions are treated in less sessions while chronic conditions take longer. Each person is unique, but I recommend that you give yourself the gift of several treatments in order to fully experience the benefits of acupuncture. After each treatment you should feel more relief and improved wellness. If your response to acupuncture is not satisfactory, I will refer you to other practitioners who I think can help you when I cannot.

After reaching their health goals, many people come in for tune-ups as part of their lifetime health maintenance program.