Acupuncture Treatment

If you have any questions prior to the first consultation please phone us for a free chat on 07921908721 or email enquiries@acupuncture-health.co.uk

The Initial Consultation

The initial consultation will take place at your chosen Acupuncture-Health practice of either Waterloo, London or in the City of London and will take approximately 1 ½ hours. As acupuncture therapy addresses the unique, holistic needs of an individual, encompassing body, mind and spirit, the practitioner will use this time to listen to your history as well as your present condition. The practitioner will also ask a range of questions about your general health and may carry out a physical examination if appropriate.

Tongue Diagnosis

Suring the initial Traditional Chinese Medicine consultation the practitioner will ask to see your tongue. In Chinese Medicine the tongue is seen as a map of the body with different areas of the tongue relating to different Chinese organs. By examining your tongue the practitioner will be able to build a picture of what is going on in your body according to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory.

Pulse Diagnosis

The practitioner will also take readings of your pulses during the consultation. The practitioner will be looking for various pulse characteristics within the individual pulses of each Chinese organ, as well as overall pulse qualities, too assess your health in accordance with Traditional Chinese Medicine theory.

First Treatment

At the end of the initial consultation the practitioner will give you a treatment. An acupuncture needling treatment will be carried out by inserting very fine, disposable, sterile needles into specific acupuncture points.  The needles may be left in for some time or removed immediately, depending on the treatment that is right for you. The acupuncture practitioner may also manipulate needles during the treatment in order to affect the Qi (energy). During this time some patients may experience a tingling sensation or a dull ache; this is quite normal and is viewed to be the Qi (energy) working. Some patients will not feel anything. This is also normal. Patients are often surprised how pain free acupuncture is.

Diagnosis

The acupuncture practitioner will assess how your body and Qi (energy) react to your first acupuncture treatment, along with the tongue and pulse pictures and the case history, to come up with an individual treatment plan tailored to your specific needs and relating to your Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis. This is sometimes delivered at the follow up treatment. Your practitioner should also be able to give you guidance as to how many treatments you will need and how frequently you will need them.

Following Acupuncture Treatment

Side effects and adverse events are very rare from Acupuncture treatments. Independent research published in the British Medical Journal by A. White, concluded that from 66,000 treatments only a handful of minor adverse events were reported. Sometimes patients can report they feel calmer after treatment or more alert. It is important to report back to the acupuncturist how you felt after your first acupuncture treatment at the follow up.

Subsequent Treatments

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Subsequent acupuncture treatments usually take between 45 minutes and 1 hour. The practitioner will continue to take tongue and pulse diagnosis at these treatments to see how treatment of your condition is progressing.

It is possible to see Lucie for Acupuncture at both practices in Waterloo, London SE1 and in the City of London EC1.