Welcome!
The purpose of this page is to prepare new clients for their first appointment.
Next, take a few minutes to print and fill out this intake form; you can find that here.
Next, here is some information about what you can expect when you come in for your first session:
For most of the population, getting acupuncture is a new and strange experience. This article is meant to take some of the unknown out of the experience.
Before:
- Most acupuncture points are from the elbow down and the knee down. Therefore, it’s rare to have to remove significant amounts of clothing to receive acupuncture. Sometimes I may ask my clients change into hospital gowns during acupuncture for hip and back issues.
- Wear comfortable clothes to your appointment. Loose pajama pants work well. Some people who come to their appointments from work like to bring a pair of shorts to change into.
- Women should wear a back closure bra to facilitate access to the back if necessary.
- Absolutely brush your teeth, but please don’t brush your tongue. There is a coating on your tongue that I will check during your visit.
- Make sure you’ve had something to eat recently, or at the very least make sure you’re not ravenously hungry.
- Almost anybody can benefit from acupuncture. However, if you have a moderate to severe clotting disorder you might not be a good candidate for treatment. You should also let Melissa know if you’re taking blood thinning medications.
- Children generally do not receive acupuncture until they are about 9-11 years old. Before then, acupressure and herbs create great results for them.
- Herbal formulas are often suggested to help you reach your health goals. Any medications you are taking will be carefully considered, but will not necessarily exclude you from herbal therapy. The exceptions to this are those taking Coumadin/ Warfarin or Lithium.
During:
- During your first visit we will do a full medical intake which will include follow up questions from the form that you filled out (follow this link if you still need to fill out your form).
- Part of my diagnosis will include feeling your pulses, and checking your tongue.
- Needles are single use and disposed of as medical waste. There is never a reusing of needles. You are still able to donate blood after receiving acupuncture.
- The needles are many times finer than needles used for other medical purposes. You will likely feel them very little, if at all.
- For pain relief you may be offered other modalities such as cupping that may cause temporary red marks on the skin. These are painless and therapeutically beneficial. If you don’t want these marks for any reason I am happy to accommodate.
- While you rest with the needles in, most newcomers to acupuncture are surprised at the deep state of relaxation they find themselves in.
After:
- After acupuncture, you will likely feel very relaxed and you might feel a little drowsy. However, the sleepiness passes quickly and you can go on to any normal activities that you had planned for the rest of the day.
- Although uncommon, some individuals with chronic pain report that their symptoms temporarily worsen for a few hours before they experience deep relief.
- It is recommended that several acupuncture sessions be scheduled close together as the benefits have a cumulative effect. With each session the relief from your issues should last longer. In addition, most people notice that other aspects of their health improve as well. It is common to experience more energy, better moods, better digestion, improved sleep, and more.
If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact me!
