Initial Visit and Treatment
In the First Visit, a Health History Questionnaire is filled out. This includes past illnesses and symptoms as well as current. That questionnaire is gone over verbally in finer detail and other cues, such as emotional reaction to stress are asked about. The Tongue and Pulse are also examined which is an important part of diagnosis in Chinese Medicine. Possible recommendations of Vitamins, Herbs, Supplements, Diet or Lifestyle can be given. After that, an explanation of how Acupuncture works and the wide variety of benefits it can offer, including feeling more emotionally balanced is discussed. A treatment follows.
What is important is how a person directly experienced their symptoms such as what weather makes the problem worse or better, does movement help or hurt the symptom, does stress play a factor, what times during the day are the symptoms worse or better. Chinese Medicine's Strength lies in the individualization of symptoms.
The initial visit and treatment usually takes about an hour and a half. Follow up treatments can take up to an hour but usually 45 minutes is sufficient.