Your First Visit
Click here to schedule an appointment online now!
What to Bring
Bring any forms you filled out that were mailed to you; or, arrive 20 minutes early to fill out the paperwork if it did not come in the mail. You can click here to download forms for your first visit. Be sure to bring a list of all medications, vitamins, herbs, or dietary supplements you are taking. If you have copies of lab work done, bring them. Have your medical history ready to share, including dates of major illnesses or surgeries.
Make sure you have eaten before your appointment. Do not use caffeine or stimulants before your visit. Do not take any medications the day of your appointment UNLESS they are required by your prescribing physician. Please check with your doctor to see if you can skip taking your medicines on the day of your acupuncture visit. Medications mask your body’s signs of health and disease which we use to diagnose your true underlying health condition.
What to Expect
You will be seated in the waiting room until you are ready to be seen. Then, you will go with your practitioner to a treatment room for your initial interview. This will take as long as an hour because Chinese medicine is very comprehensive and thorough. We ask a lot of questions. You do not have to answer anything you are uncomfortable answering, but it helps us help you faster when it comes to treatment planning and prognosis.
We will typically ask about your overall health, health history, family medical history, and treatment goals. We also ask about your birth and early childhood circumstances. Each week we will ask you about your sleep, diet, habits, appetite, digestion, bowel movements, breathing, heart palpitations, urination, sweats, dizziness, vision, pain, memory, and emotions. You may talk about whatever you feel is also relevant.
A thorough diagnosis is conducted that involves examination of the tongue, eyes, and depending on your health concerns, may involve elements of a physical exam for nerve, muscle, bone, heart, lung, hearing, etc. Pulse diagnosis is a specialty that can take up to 20 minutes of feeling your pulse in over 20 positions on the wrist at various pressures. This is included in your first visit.
A supervisor in the clinic will check your practitioner’s examination and findings. Typically, treatments begin at your next visit. Exceptions can be made for acute conditions like head cold, flu, allergies, high blood pressure, pain, and some OB/Gyn problems. Typically treatments will include acupuncture or herbs.
How to Schedule an Appointment
To schedule an appointment, please call 352-327-3561.
