Acupuncture : Frequently Asked Questions

You first appointment involves a comprehensive intake, takes an hour and a half and includes receiving a treatment. Your practitioner will ask you a lot of questions about your health and lifestyle. She may make lifestyle recommendations. Bring a list of any medications you are on that can be entered into your file. Your acupuncturist will come up with a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medical) diagnosis and treatment plan over the course of your first 1-3 treatments.

You will have an initial 3 appointments within ten days of your intake. This is because the results of acupuncture are cumulative and we want you to get the most out of your initial investment and treatment. At that point your practitioner will make a recommendation for follow up appointments. This can vary from none, to once a week, to once a month, to seasonally, depending on your diagnosis and treatment plan. Follow up treatments are about 45 minutes. A "course" of treatments is generally 6-10 treatments. But for a deeply seated problem treatment will go on for longer.

Call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask them if your plan covers acupuncture. Many, but not all plans will cover you. Some may want you to have a referral from your doctor. Many doctors refer their patients to our office. Worker's compensation plans often cover as well. Some plans will cover a certain number of treatments. It varies from carrier to carrier and from plan to plan.

People usually feel very relaxed after treatment. It's a good idea to be able to rest if possible or keep your schedule light after treatment. It is recommended that you allow 2 hours between treatment and heavy exercise.

Your acupuncturist may recommend a formula if it is deemed helpful to your treatment. All the formulas are available at Breathing Light's herbal pharmacy.