1. Wear proper clothing. Loose fitting clothes work best to allow the acupuncturist access to the right points
2. Eat! Adequate intake of food and drink is critical. Avoid coming on an empty stomach, or you may leave light headed and exhausted. Acupuncture works with your bodies energy therefore, having enough resources to draw from is necessary to optimize your health objectives
3. Schedule properly. Plan your session AFTER physical therapy, massage, or strenuous exercise. All of these activities counteract the effects of the acupuncture treatment because they alter blood flow
4. Prepare to relax for a half hour on the table
5. Prepare for your Chinese medicine exam, which includes feeling your pulse, examining your tongue (AVOID tongue scrapping before your visit), and if possible leave your nail polish off
Acupuncture Needle low down…
- In 1996, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified acupuncture needles as medical instruments, assuring their safety and effectiveness
- The needles are sterile
- They are one-time use needles and disposed of as medical waste
- The body of the needle is solid unlike conventional needles, which are hollow
- The patient may describe the initial poke as a mosquito bite, while others may not feel anything
- Once the needles are inserted, patients do not feel any pain associated with the needles
- During your acupuncture session, you may feel more relaxed and calmer; you may also experience a heaviness, dull, or achy sensation — this means the treatment is working and the needles are stimulating the body’s Qi AKA energy
- The area of the body determines needle size
- Needle location is based on your Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis
- Needle location may remain the same or vary with each treatment
- Needle location is not always at the site of injury, many times distal points are used to generate the desired effect
- Earliest healers used sharp rocks, bones, and bamboo sticks to perform acupressure. The progression continued from bamboo to ceramic, bronze, and iron and then to steel
- Gold needles were found in a tomb around 2000 B.C. in the Herbei province in China
- This ancient practice is a safe, natural and drug-free way to heal the whole body
The Journey Begins
Thanks for joining me!
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
Michigan Acupuncture Studio 