A Typical Session

When you come in for a session, you’ll fill out a thorough form asking about your health history and current symptoms. Seemingly unrelated issues often stem from the same root in Chinese Medicine. When you meet with your practitioner, you will discuss all your issues. They will then look at your tongue and read your pulses. Acupuncturists place their fingers on your radial artery, but they’re not only feeling for the rate of the heart. Each finger position represents the energy of different organs. They have various qualities and are diagnostic for the practitioner. Similarly, your acupuncturist will ask to look at your tongue, which represents a map of the body. Like reflexology, it gives the acupuncturist clues about what’s going on internally. They may also palpate the acupuncture channels for diagnostic purposes.

The acupuncturists will discuss their findings with you and then you’ll lie down on a comfortable massage table. Very fine, sterilized, stainless steel needles will be inserted into various points on energy channels throughout the body. These filiform needles are very gentle and are often compared to animal whiskers in their flexibility and gauge. Most patients don’t feel the needles themselves, but instead may feel their own qi or “living energy” as it’s activated. This can be felt as a burst of energy, a pulling sensation, an electrical charge, a pulse in the muscle, etc. It’s difficult to explain the qi sensation, but amazing to experience.

After anywhere from about three to thirty needles are placed on your body, you will rest with them in for twenty to forty minutes. Acupuncture releases endorphins that are immediately relaxing. Many patients fall asleep and, regardless of their main complaint, leave the session feeling a sense of euphoria.

Patients often wonder how many treatments they’ll need, but it’s very hard to say. Acupuncture treats the individual, not the symptom and as our personal stories are all incredibly different, so is the way we heal. Many acute symptoms improve immediately, while chronic issues that have created complicated patterns in the body often need multiple treatments. Acupuncture is also a preventative medicine to ensure excellent health so many patients get regular treatments to keep their body, mind, and spirit in optimal condition.

Many insurance companies are now offering acupuncture benefits so call our lovely office assistant to see if you are covered.