About your first visit
Acupuncture treatment takes about 50 min. The first visit is mainly about obtaining information thorough diagnose about your health conditions and needs, follow up by an acupuncture session.
During your first acupuncture visit, the doctor will ask you all the health related issues. Remember that this ancient method also treats emotions as they are part of your health. If you have any issues in this area, you should also make the case.
The follow up visits go much deeper into actual acupuncture, sometimes accompanied by moxibustion, which aim is the heal the body and sustain the treatment results.
Diagnosis
The proper diagnose is a key to successful treatment and healing. To achieve the best results, the qualified doctor will ask you for your past medical history and present complains.
Next step is a palpatory diagnosis, which consists of feeling the pulse on both of your wrists and is followed by Hara (Japanese for “abdomen”) diagnosis.
Hara diagnosis
This ancient Chinese method mastered in Japan uses selected areas of your body to determine any discomfort, pain, changes in skin, temperature and moisture, tightness or weakness and flaccidity.
These areas are known as reflecting areas because if they are sensitive, they reflect the causes of your complains. You can notice they are localised distally from areas of your complains. That’s because they are pointing the deeper cause of your symptoms, especially if the disease has been developing for a long time.
Treatment
Then comes the treatment. I use thin, disposable needles which are almost painlessly inserted in acupuncture points.
The chosen points are previously carefully checked for their efficiency to cure the actual condition in a patient. I usually keep the needles for about 20 minutes. After I finish treating patient on the frontal side of the body, I’d ask you to flip over. I repeat the needling procedure on the back of the body.
Moxibustion
Some of the points on your skin used during the treatment may need some extra stimulation to enhance the outcome. In such cases we use moxibustion technique.
During the treatment we place little cones of moxa (or mugwort), no bigger than rice seed, on your skin previously protected by ointment (Shiunko cream) and burn them from top to bottom. You will feel a very short mosquito-like bite or electric sensation. Don’t worry, the burning needles will leave no scar on your skin.
After the treatment
It is completely natural to feel a bit out-spaced after the treatment. That’s because your body tries to return to the balance way of functioning. You should give yourself a few minutes and not to rush yourself immediately towards daily activity.
Sometimes you can feel a bit tired, especially when treating long standing problems. It can occur after few initial treatments and subside along the treatment process. I’d recommend if you take it easy during the day and drink hot water.
