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What
Happens
in a Typical Visit? |
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A
Typical Visit
If
you are a bit nervous about trying out an Acupuncture
session, don't worry...you are not alone. Since Western
medicine uses needles in a different (and sometimes
painful) way, it is natural for us imagine the pain
of becoming a human pin-cushion. |
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| In
Western medicine, needles are used to inject medicine
or to withdraw fluids from the body. The needles are
hollow and the tip is beveled and sharpened so that
it can cut the skin upon entry. In comparison to Acupuncture
needles, Western needles are huge because the diameter
of the needle needs to be large enough to transfer the
thick fluids of the body. |
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| Acupuncture
needles are very thin and solid. They are not designed
to cut the skin, but to displace the skin and stimulate
areas beneath the skin. The needles are sterile and
are disposable single-use only. |
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The
needles are usually inserted by placing them in a
"tube-like" holder to keep them from bending
upon insertion, then the examiner will "tap"
the top of the
holder to insert the thin needle to the desired depth.
The holder is then removed, leaving the actual needle
in place. The needles are left in place for a presribed
period of time (up to 30 minutes) before removal.
Depending on the treatment plan, from one to several
dozen needles could be inserted in various points. |
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| While
Western patients are mostly concerned about the needles,
the real treatment begins with the diagnosis. |
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| Diagnosis
Much
like the first visit to a Western doctor, the visit
starts with medical history forms. It is important
to answer all questions accurately to assist the medical
staff in evaluating your condition.
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| Acupuncture
is part of "Traditional
Chinese Medicine", which is typically
a more holistic approach than Western medicine, so questions
which may seem unrelated to your reason for making the
visit are often important to the diagnosis (questions
about sleep habits, ability to tolerate heat and cold,
current diet, etc.) After reviewing your records, the
acupuncturist will visit and begin the diagnosis. |
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A
session usually begins with letting you describe your
condition verbally. Then, depending on your condition,
we may do a rather extensive tongue examination and
an
unusual pulse examination. The Chinese pulse examination
is a major diagnosis technique for traditional Chinese
medicine. It is a method of establishing the condition
of the
"meridians" or pathways of "qi"
(energy) within your body. |
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| Then,
using all of the information gathered from the diagnosis,
the examiner will determine the "cause" of
the symptoms that you have described (the reason for
your visit). Needles will then be inserted into very
specific acu-points that will help bring the body back
into "homeostatis" or balance, thus removing
the source of the symptoms. |
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| Allow
at least an hour for the first visit. The actual treatment
will last around 30 to 40 minutes and it may take several
visits to make progress, depending on the seriousness
of the condition and the length of time it has been
causing you discomfort. |
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| Know
Your Acupuncturist.pdf |
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