Your first visit
Once you schedule your appointment, we’ll email you a confirmation and link to fill out the online intake form.
Please arrive a few minutes early (or 15 minutes early if you decide to fill out the online form at the office) and have a seat in our waiting area. Directions and parking can be found on our contact page.
Preparing for your session
For the best possible treatment, please:
- Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes.
- Be sure to have a little something to eat beforehand, and arrive neither too full nor too empty.
- Avoid exercising (or any activity that increases your heart rate) at least 2 hours before your treatment.
- Do not brush your tongue on the morning of your visit (teeth are okay) as we need to see the natural distribution of your tongue coating for diagnosis.
We’ll take a complete health history.
Your first session will last approximately 75–90 minutes and will include a complete health history, pulse and tongue diagnosis and an acupuncture treatment. If appropriate, other treatment modalities may be included, such as medical massage (tui na), gua sha, dietary counseling, cupping and herbal medicine prescriptions. A series of sessions will be recommended based on your condition and results we’ve experienced with patients in the past, typically 5 to 8 weekly sessions, although this can vary.
Your safety and comfort are important.
We use only sterile, single-use disposable needles at our clinic. The needles are thin as hair (about 17 can fit inside the needles your regular doctor’s needle!) and many patients are surprised at how painless it is. Many patients describe a dull, aching feeling or nothing at all.
After your session
You may feel relaxed, or sleepy.
Patients typically feel very relaxed after treatment, so following your session with investor meetings, marathon trainings or launch parties is highly unadvised!
Sometimes the treatment can make you sleepy afterwards because the body just received a lesson in improved energy and blood circulation. While some bodies have no problem with the lesson, others may approach it as if learning the multiplication table again for the first time. A bit of rest is all that’s needed to recalibrate.
Sometimes acupuncture points are sore after treatment. This is normal, and most often it’s just one point on the body. This is the body’s way of telling you that healing is still active in the area associated with that particular point. For example, a point on the leg that we use to treat digestive discomfort may feel especially sore – but this a good thing since it tells us the body is actively working towards homeostasis.
We’ll explain everything.
We’re big proponents of patient education, so we’ll always take the time to explain what’s happening during your treatment. We’re happy to answer any questions you have – before, during or after your session.
Have more questions?
Please visit the FAQ section of our resources page, or call us anytime at (415) 640-2341.
