Ever wondered about acupuncture? Like how many needles the acupuncturist will put in you? How many treatments will I need? Will I be able to move during the treatment?
Rachel Kristyniak, Licensed Acupuncturist of VAMT, posted a video on our Facebook page, answering these-and many more of your questions. Head on over to our page to check it out! Below, we will re-cap the question and answer section of the video:
How many acupuncture needles do you use?
In general, your acupuncturist will use between 10-30 needles in one session. However, sometimes they may use 5, and sometimes they will use 50!
The deciding factors are your acupuncturist and their training/preferences, your condition, the location of concern, your tolerance/preference, and more.
Make sure to discuss any concerns with your practitioner before needling starts. It’s totally OK to say “I don’t like a ton of needles”. Feel free to speak up and let your needs be known!
How many treatments?
I like to encourage my patients to build their intuition muscle with this one. After your first treatment, decide, “did I like that?”, “does my body seem to enjoy being in that room with that practitioner?”, “do I feel better after treatment/am I drawn to another appointment?”
If you’d like some guidelines to follow for your treatment plan, asking your acupuncturist is a good place to start. It’s common to be seen several times a week in the beginning of your treatment plan, and less as time goes by. 3 treatments a week isn’t unheard of.
Acupuncture is similar starting a new work out regiment or seeing a chiropractor. It takes your body a while to figure out this new way of “being”. Once you and your acupuncturist have brought some balance back in your nervous system, you can talk about once a week or maybe even once a month.
How do I prepare for my first treatment?
It’s helpful to have a snack before and to be hydrated. Wear comfortable clothes or bring PJ’s with. Many acupuncturists will have gowns and sheets for your convenience.
Make sure you read the New Patient e-mail most practitioners send out. There’s a lot of helpful information in those-like what to wear, what payment types they accept, cancellation/reschedule policies, parking, and paperwork to fill out before hand.
Can I move during acupuncture?
It depends on where the needles are. In general, it’s OK to move if the needles are in your limbs (hands, arms, feet and legs). It might not feel the best if you itch your nose with a needle in your hand, but you likely be just fine.
If the needles are in your neck, back, abdomen or anywhere around your internal organs or arteries, it’s best to stay still. Moving can cause the needles to move deeper in the body, and that’s where you want to be cautious.
If you have any further questions, ask your acupuncturist.
How long will my appointment last?
It’s typical to be seen for 60-90 minutes for a new patient appointment and 60 minutes for follow-ups. During your first appointment, we are getting to know each other and we may ask a lot of questions, hence the longer time. Make sure you know how long your acupuncturist’s new appointments typically last so you know what to expect.
What will happen during my first visit?
Your first acupuncture visit starts with a meet and greet. Your acupuncturist will ask about the reason you are there and then continue with questions to help understand your concern.
There are a slew of questions we learn in school called the “10 questions”, that were formulated to help pinpoint the “pathology” in the patient. They include questions about energy, sleep, digestion, emotions, pain, bowel habits, appetite and more. Depending on your practitioner, they may ask non, all or several more of these questions.
We might also look at your tongue and take your pulse-more traditional ways to figure out what’s going on inside the body.
You will then be treated with needles and perhaps some of the following: Moxa, cupping, herbs, tui na, gua sha, a heat lamp, guided meditation, breathing exercises, food therapy, etc.
You are generally left to relax and let your body heal for 15-35 minutes. Your acupuncturist will be back in the room to remove the needles and give you next steps to follow.
Thank you for stopping by this week. We appreciate your interaction and would love to hear from you! Please comment bellow to continue the discussion. If you’d like to schedule an appointment, call us at 651-756-8525 or visit us at villageacupunctureandmassage.com.
Until next time!
Rachel, Licensed Acupuncturist at VAMT
Rachel was born and raised in St.Paul, MN, where she currently lives with her husband, Chris and Shih Zhu, Stewie. She graduated from Northwestern Health Sciences in 2017 with her Masters in Chinese Medicine. Rachel found Chinese medicine on a journey to understand and tend to her own anxiety and depression and now has a passion for helping others who experience a similar reality. She enjoys treating a wide variety of conditions and welcomes anyone looking for care.