When you come for your first treatment you may have a variety of preconceptions of what will happen during the session. However, what you don’t know is what happens before and after the session and how your body will react to the treatment 24-48 hours later.
Filling In Your Health History
Before any treatment is given you will be asked to fill in a health history form and a few pages of a lifestyle questionnaire. This information is very important as it allows your practitioner to get a full picture of you and your health not just your reason for coming for treatment. Please allow about 10 minutes for this and try to arrive about 5-10 minutes before your appointment time.
What To Wear And Whether To Eat
You should wear loose, comfortable clothing for the treatment. As well as working on points on the torso, we also use points on the arms and legs. It’s also helpful to have eaten a light meal about an hour before, rather than arriving on an empty stomach. However, don’t eat a huge meal and then come for treatment as you will just feel uncomfortable lying down after eating.
The Initial Consultation
The initial consultation may take between an hour and an hour and half. In this first session your practitioner will ask you many questions regarding your sleep, your diet, your levels of energy, any digestive problems you may be experiencing, and how you feel with regard to stress. Your practitioner will also take your pulse at the wrist and look at your tongue. This is the detailed assessment for traditional Chinese medicine and as acupuncture is used and regulated on the NHS in conjunction with conventional treatment for certain ailments, your practitioner will be assessing you in this manner for your first appointment for Acupuncture Evesham see Purelands Accupuncture.
Needles And Retention Time
After you have filled out the necessary forms the practitioner will start the treatment part of the session. Typically for an initial session this will involve placing between a few needles and fifteen to twenty around the body. The needles are left in for around twenty to thirty minutes during which time you will be asked to lie comfortably and relax. Often people fall asleep during this time.
The Rest Period Afterwards
After the needling has been completed you will be asked to remain on the treatment table for around 10-15 minutes after which time you are free to leave. It’s best to allow a 10-15 minute buffer either side of your scheduled appointment time to allow for this. Purelands Acupuncture offer Acupuncture appointments locally. It’s not advisable to get up straight away and rush off to your car.
What To Expect In The Next Day Or Two
You may feel tired or feel more relaxed than usual within a few hours of the treatment ending, and also sleep more than usual that night. As with any form of acupuncture some patients can experience mild tenderness at the site(s) where the needles were inserted a day or so later. This can feel similar to bruising and will generally have disappeared within 24 to 48 hours.
If you know what to expect before you go it can actually make your first visit much less daunting. Most people actually find that, for the most part, acupuncture is quite calm and rather straightforward.
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