Acupuncture needles are much thinner than needles you may have seen when receiving an injection or at a blood test.

In general, on insertion, you may briefly feel some sensations such as tingling, pressure, or dull ache. This varies from person to person but after the needle is inserted these sensations settle very quickly.

If you feel nervous about your first session let me know and we can discuss and I will make sure to ease your mind.

The initial session begins with a thorough consultation where I ask about your medical history, lifestyle, and your current signs and symptoms. I will also check your tongue and pulse as that is crucial to determine your Chinese Medicine diagnosis.

After the consultation we proceed to the treatment where needles are inserted.

You do not need to bring anything. It would advise you to wear loose clothing so I can have access to the acupuncture points but if you happen to wear tight clothes do not worry I will ask you to remove the clothes which will be in a way of accessing the points and I will give you a large towel to provide coverage at all times.

Before acupuncture treatment, it is good to have a light meal. I would encourage all my patients to have at least some food before the treatment - please do not starve yourself before the treatment.

After acupuncture ideally, you would allow yourself plenty of rest, and good sleep, you should also drink enough liquids, eat well & stay warm! It is also possible to be more sensitive so it would be great if you could take notes about your emotional state for the next session.

TRY TO RELAX :)

Before acupuncture treatment, I would advise my patients to skip their coffee. Do not eat food or drink something that may stain your tongue as checking your tongue is part of the diagnosis also if you are scraping your tongue please skip that too.

After acupuncture treatment avoid drinking coffee or alcohol. Heavy exercising, or activities that strain your body should be also avoided. If possible avoid stressful situations. Using ice packs for pain relief should also be avoided. Saunas as relaxing as it sounds should be also planned for a different day as it is an additional strain on the body.

That varies from patient to patient. In general, the longer you have the health issue the longer it will take to resolve. Acute conditions may take few treatments whereas chronic conditions which you have 3 months and over may take a couple of months with weekly sessions.

People usually feel changes after 3-4 weekly treatments but for chronic conditions, it is advised to have about 6-12 weekly treatments over 1-2 months.

Absolutely! Acupuncturists in ancient times were paid to keep people healthy rather than heal the sick.

Acupuncture is a powerful tool to keep your health on top also it is very relaxing so people often have regular treatments to handle the day-to-day stressful events.