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Your First Visit
The first office visit consists of the following:
- Intake: Signs & Symptoms and Patient History
- Assessment
- Treatment Plan
To Download New Patient Forms, Please Click
Below:
- Overview
- The first office visit to an acupuncturist may be a bit daunting to the
patient, as the first impression of being needled is pain. Rest
assured that an acupuncture needle is very thin and fine, almost as thin
as your hair. In most cases, you will feel very little pain, if at
all. Sometimes you may feel just a slight prick, followed by a dull,
distending sensation in the area in the area being needled. You may
also feel warmth, or even slight sensation of movement or tingling in the
area. These sensations are collectively called "Qi"
sensation, meaning that Qi has arrived in the area to help correct any
imbalances that may be present in these acupuncture points and the
associated meridian channels.
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- Intake: Patient History and Exam
- The first office visit for acupuncture consists of a comprehensive
patient intake involving history and examination. As a patient, you
would fill out the history portion of the initial exam form that is
somewhat similar to most forms seen in a doctor's office. (If you'd
prefer, you may download this form by clicking the download button above and fill it out at home and bring it in on your first office
visit.) For your first visit, however, it would be helpful to have a
list of all medications, herbs, and supplements you are taking, as well as
any laboratory and radiological reports relevant to your health
issue. If you do not have this information on the first visit,
please provide us with this information on the subsequent visit. The
more information we have from you, the better we are able to formulate a
more comprehensive treatment plan that's right for you.
- The examination portion for acupuncture consists of examination
techniques involving Western medicine as well as Chinese medicine, with
emphasis shifting according to the issue at hand. The Chinese
medical exam consists of an extensive series of questions and answers not
only about the immediate issue at hand, but to get a firmer understanding
of the condition of your body as a whole, also called the constitution of
your body. We do this because in Chinese medicine, the acute issue
may be related to or contributed by your constitutional imbalances as
well, so we try to look for links between your signs and symptoms.
We also take your pulse on both wrists and take a look at your tongue, as
both pulse and tongue are considered microsystems of your body in Chinese
medicine. We may also palpate and feel the problem area on your body
to extract additional information. Meanwhile, the Western medical
portion of the exam may constitute of basic vital signs, and exams
involving orthopedics, neurology, and muscle strength testing, as
appropriate, to determine the nature of the problem.
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- Assessment and Treatment Plan
- After the examination, we'll arrive at a diagnosis and then discuss what
the appropriate treatment plan would be. We may prescribe
acupuncture, electroacupuncture, customized herbal prescriptions, Tui-Na
therapeutic massage therapy, cupping, heat/cold therapy, exercise, diet,
and so on. We'll also discuss whether there's any need for outside
specialty referrals and additional laboratory or radiological work.
Lastly, we'll establish common treatment goals and set a course of
treatments to accomplish your health care goals.
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