What happens when I come for acupuncture?
Nothing you don’t agree to! This is your health and your decision. We want to know what is working well for you, and what isn’t working so well… you will come into a private room that has a treatment table like a massage table, with sheets, a chair for the practitioner, some treatment supplies.
Questions: Before you come, we will ask you to complete a fairly detailed health history. The first visit, we ask lots of questions that might sound unusual, about sleep, diet, exercise, elimination, pain, headaches, emotions, etc…. But the answers you have help us to get some whole ‘you’ ideas. We are looking for patterns that help us to choose treatment for you.
Tongue: I will ask to see your tongue – yes! Why? It gives us some diagnostic information, because different areas of your tongue represent different organ systems, and different colours/coatings and shapes of your tongue tell us information too… although smoking, eating blue candies and Pepto Bismol makes it look quite different so tell me about those.
Pulse: I will take your pulse – on both wrists, after you relax. We do like to get the same info your GP gets – what is your pulse rate, but we are looking for different information too.
Palpation: Often, based upon information you tell us, we will ask your permission to palpate (or clinical touch) along part of one or more of your meridians, most often on your lower arms or legs, or your back. We can often do through some clothing, and will let you know what we are doing as we go… it gives us information about how to treat best;
Create a possible TCM diagnosis, and a treatment plan for the day: A TCM (traditional chinese medicine) diagnosis does NOT sound like one your western practitioners provide… TCM evolved over thousands of years, with a primarily rural population. Diagnosis terms always consider what is out of balance, and may include stagnation, deficiency, excess, and weather terms – too much heat, cold, damp, dry or wind! Don’t worry, once you get used to them they actually do make sense. Whether the terms are off-putting to you or not, the proof will be in the pudding, or the results!
Locations of imbalances are discussed in terms of ‘meridians’, which are surface locations, like energy highways with little stops or points, for organ SYSTEMS in the body. Points, Meridians and Organ systems were part of a theoretical construct that evolved over many hundreds of years in China. If we say there is ‘stagnation in the Liver channel’, this is NOT your liver organ, necessarily, but the Liver SYSTEM, which can include the meridian and its pathway, including where it dives internally to connect to real organs like your gall bladder, heart, lungs etc. Be patient, because this system is difficult to explain, but boy does it begin to make sense after you spend some time getting your head around it (2200 hours and counting… I can see its yin/yang simple yet complex nature – see if you get results)!
A ‘points prescription’ is a selection of points designed to help rebalance your energy, and support the conditions in your body preventing awesome health.
Will I get needles? Maybe! If you want… but not if you don’t want.
How many needles? we won’t know until we discuss your treatment – the answer is ‘it depends’, but we try not to use more than 10 points (which may be bilateral)… if you are older or smaller or in a weaker condition, it may be fewer. Whether it is an acute or chronic condition, how long the condition has been around, etc. are all factors.
Other modalities: We also have many other ‘tools’ in our tool kit to help access your body’s healing mechanisms like:
– cupping – (like a reverse massage with suction – remember seeing the Olympians’ circular red marks?)
– gua sha (called ‘skin scraping’), to release tightness and promote circulation in the associated tissues – TCM did it before beauty influencers!
– acupressure and/or some tuina (Chinese massage) techniques
– ear seeds – auricular acupuncture – natural vicaria seeds on small adhesive tape placed on particular ear acupuncture points (and you can press these several times a day between appointments to prolong the effects of treatment);
– show you qi gong/breathing techniques, movements for home – always simple!
– share some dietary supports – one or two simple additions to support your TCM diagnosis –
Decide on when/if a new appointment is necessary, or whether referral to other professionals is warranted. We don’t prescribe drugs! * If you have an emergency, call 911. * DON’T STOP taking any prescribed course of medical treatment!
A Curious Calm: Acupuncture with Sue 