What will happen in the first and subsequent consultations?

To have the most effective Acupuncture treatments, it will be necessary for your Acupuncturist to understand the context of your complaint. In Chinese Medicine a complaint is examined from the wider perspective of your life; to understand one part the nature of the whole must be known. This is why we call Chinese Medicine a holistic form of treatment. Health is always seen in terms of a pattern of phenomena from the very physical through to the emotional life, working environment and disposition of a person. Thus, if you have a shoulder problem your Acupuncturist may want to know about your digestion and if you have a digestive problem your Acupuncturist may want to know about your shoulders.

During an initial consultation your Acupuncturist will ask you a range of questions to identify the pattern of symptoms. For this reason a first session will go into detail about your history and may take longer than subsequent sessions. For the most part, your actual treatment will not start until the second consultation, but from then on you will be treated each time you come to see your Acupuncturist.

Your Acupuncturist will use pulse, tongue and abdominal diagnosis to build up the picture. Reading the pulse includes the obvious such as the rate and rhythm but also looks at qualities such as the width, depth and strength. To an experienced hand these qualities can be very informative. Examination of the tongue takes into account the colour, structure and coating. This information is added to what has been discovered through the pulse and further informs the nature of the pattern. Finally, abdominal palpation may be included. Your Acupuncturist will feel for any tender spots on your abdomen and areas of tension or lack of muscle tone. Over the course of treatment features of the pulse, tongue and abdomen which indicate a problem will be expected to change in reflection of your return to full health.

It is helpful to wear loose, comfortable clothing for your treatment and you should be aware that your Acupuncturist may need access to points on your torso as well as on your arms, face, head and legs.