How to Prepare for Acupuncture

There are no special or specific preparations before undergoing an acupuncture treatment. However, if you are thinking about having an acupuncture, there are some things you might want to consider first before going through it. You can start by:

• Asking your friends for recommendations.
• Confirming the practitioner’s qualification and credibility. Most states necessitate that non-physician acupuncturists pass examinations according to national certification standards for oriental medicine and acupuncture.
• Asking the practitioner what the treatment entails, how it’s likely to improve your illness, and how much the treatment will cost.
• Finding out if your insurance covers acupuncture treatments.

Inform your doctor about your decision to have acupuncture

He/she might be able to let you know about the effectiveness and safeties of using acupuncture to treat certain diseases or recommend a specialized acupuncture practitioner.

Carefully study the concept of oriental acupuncture

This form of treatment has always been used in Asia and China. Nevertheless, it does not follow Western European approaches when it comes to diagnosis and treatment, so it’s important to consider it as an excellent alternative procedure to correct your condition. Ensure that you read more about it in magazines, medical health websites, or books. You can also talk to a professional acupuncturist or people who have successfully tried it.

Make a comprehensive decision: whether to trust or accept this form of treatment

If you’re not sure about having acupuncture, no one should force you to do it. Nevertheless, if you’re convinced it may work for you, or you are feeling desperate for a different form of treatment, acupuncture may be extremely beneficial and be precisely what you need. Acupuncture relieves pain, reduces symptoms, and helps restore balance and stability to your body. It’s only you who can decide if it’s worth trying.

Understand what acupuncture entails

Acupuncture involves a series of about 20 treatments, each one of them lasting up to one hour. The treatment sessions are spread out over numerous weeks. They are usually done a day or two after every treatment depending on the severity of your condition. Acupuncture doesn’t only focus on treating your symptoms but also your overall well-being by taking a holistic approach. This implies that you should set aside sufficient time because it’s useless to take a single treatment or to start a series and not complete it. Not finishing the full course of your treatment can’t help at all.

Your first consultation

Visit your acupuncturist and inform him about your problem. Explain all your symptoms, diet, and how you sleep. Take the acupuncturist’s explanations or suggestions positively. Be ready for explanations that are totally different from those you are often given by your Western doctor.

Tell the acupuncturist that it’s the first time you’re having an acupuncture treatment. He or she will explain everything in detail. Normally, you’ll be required to lie down on a massage or regular examination bed and remove some of your clothes to expose specific areas that your acupuncturist will tell you to. Once that’s done, you’ll be covered in a towel and blanket if it is extremely cold. Be certain to wear loose clothes when you go for your first appointment. The therapist will un-wrap sterile needles from unused plastic packets. They may also swab the acupuncture points with alcohol. You may not be in a position to identify the insertion areas on your own.

Relax

When preparing for acupuncture, be sure to close your eyes and allow your muscles to loosen. This procedure requires you to focus all your energy inward towards healing. You’ll definitely feel some pain when the needles prick your skin, but it doesn’t harm. The pain will disappear shortly.

Try relaxing after treatment since your muscles need enough time to rest. Minor bruising or bleeding is normal, particularly when needles are being inserted into your skin.