Your first Acupunture treatment!
Acupuncture – what to expect – your first treatment may raise some Anxiety. Especially as you may not know what is going to happen in a session. This is a valid feeling shared by many people before their first Acupuncture treatment. Who likes needles? Despite the fact that I have placed 100’s of thousands of needles in thousands of people over the last 25 plus years I still avoid normal needles when I can. There is a difference with Acupunture needles and especially in this practice. At Eastern Medicine we use the smallest gauge of needles sold in the world, making treatment virtually pain free. I still remember my anxiety about Acupuncture my first time. My first treatment it was in the early 1980’s.
Anxiety is natural and can be overcome when we know what to expect in an Acupunture Treatment!
Having had needle Anxiety I can relate to why some people would be apprehensive about their very first Acupunture treatment. When you we know what to expect about anything your minds natural protection system will create some fear to make you alert to any danger. As an experienced practitioner I use a very safe & gentle style of Acupunture. When you come to our clinic we will outline what will happen and what to expect. You are in total control and can stop the treatment at any time. Before an Acupunture treatment it can help to know what you can do to prepare for a treatment.
Knowing how to prepare.
Read on and I will let you know how I give you control of the whole process and what we can do to make it an enjoyable session. What to expect is a big part of feeling ion control and calmer when trying something new. Having Acupunture is worthwhile as the results are well worth it. This does not apply to being treated by poorly or untrained therapists. It may not apply to practitioners using Dry Needling as I am not sure what is covered in their two days of Dry Needling training. As it focuses on Trigger points and not the whole person it can sometimes be a very different experience to a session with a Chinese Medicine practitioner. We train for a minimum of 4- 6 years. Your experience can even vary between-one qualified Acupuncture practitioners and another. Many people want to experience Acupuncture as the results can be profound. Don’t let a fear of needles stop you. After making the appointment if you still have fears just let us know as we can make other options like Laser and Needle less Acupunture available to you.
Properly trained and experienced Acupunture practitioners can help you know what to expect from your first Acupuncture treatment. Many including my clinic are happy to take a phone call and talk you through what we do.
Knowing what to expect from your first treatment can go a long way toward starting your healing journey.
5 things you can do to prepare for your first Acupuncture treatment.
1. Ensure you leave enough time to get to your first Acupunture treatment. If you arrive late you may miss out on your full session.
2 Ensure that you turn off your mobile phone on arrival. Do your best to do it before entering the treatment room. Make sure it is off and not on silent as the buzzing can be even more distracting. Many people have family members or work call on arrival which can take your focus from your “Me time”. Make your session count.
3. Ensure you don’t arrive hungry or haven just eaten a large meal. This can affect how you experience your first treatment. If you arrive hungry it may distract you during the treatment or even leave you feeling light headed after the session. If you are unsure eat something in the lead up to the treatment.
4. Ensure you do not consume Coffee, Alcohol and Prescription drugs prior to an Acupuncture session. The first two are probably common sense but what do you do if you are taking strong pain medication or the like? Well when it comes to pain meds I suggest taking them as far away from the treatment time as possible. If you have a morning session then unless necessary hold off till after treatment. If you appointment is in the Afternoon then take what is necessary in the morning and hold off any other drugs till after your first Acupuncture session.
5. Ensure you are well hydrated prior to your session to avoid side effects. We have a bathroom you can use before we get going. Acupunture is a powerful relaxant and many times your Heart and Arteries will relax. If you have inadequate fluid-onboard you may find your blood pressure will drop. For those with high blood pressure this will be a welcome relief. For those who have naturally low blood pressure this can cause you to feel light headed. It can be easily avoided by ensuring you have a glass of water an hour or so before your treatment.
What happens in an Acupunture session?
The key to preventing trauma in new experiences is to be able to be in control of what happens. In my Clinic we talk you through what will happen and give you control step by step.