Got your First Acupuncture Appointment?

The traditional Chinese healing technique, acupuncture is now widely practiced to cure pain and treat a variety of diseases and conditions. As an alternative therapy, acupuncture is found to be effective in treating chronic pain, relieving stress, improving cognitive functioning and improving mental health. Given so many benefits, if you too have decided to tap on these acupuncture benefits, and have successfully booked your first appointment, don’t be nervous at all! To be ready to go for your first acupuncture session, this post lists down everything. Though there are no hard and fast rules required by the therapy, there are certain things you should take care of before you appear for your first session: 

Do not stress out: It is very important that you should have a free mind and be stress-free before you appear for your first acupuncture session. So, before you schedule your session, make sure that you are not involved in any stressful activity so as to be relaxed during your acupuncture treatment. As the most common fear, the idea of needles piercing the skin may sound painful & intimidating to you, but the overall therapy is not painful as the needles are small and hair-thin. Once you overcome this fear, you have no reason to stress out before your acupuncture session. 

Put on loose-fitting clothes: First and foremost thing to take care of is your clothing as you appear for your therapy. Unlike massage therapy, acupuncture therapy does not require you to take off your clothes so on the day of your appointment ensure that you have proper clothing. It is recommended that you put on loose-fitting clothes so that your practitioner can roll them up whenever required as they might need to access areas and reach the right acupuncture points on your body. 

Have some snacks before the session: As going to your appointment without eating anything can make you feel dizzy so before you show up for your acupuncture therapy session, make sure that you don’t go empty stomach. If your practitioner forgets to mention, remember to eat something few hours before the treatment as you might feel hungry while the session is going on. It’s not important to go for a full meal and do not go for heavy greasy food, rather you can go for light snacks to give your body some energy and gain the maximum benefits of the therapy. 

Answer all the questions in the form correctly: There are many practitioners and therapists who might ask to fill up the forms in advance. As every case is different and you might have your own objective through your acupuncture session, make sure to honestly fill up all the forms, giving each information right, so that your practitioner can handle your treatment most effectively. 

Get your current medications: As a preventive measure or precaution, you must keep your acupuncturist informed about all your ongoing treatment and medications before going for acupuncture therapy. Thus, if you are using any sort of medication or supplements,  make sure to list them down and present them in front of your practitioner. It becomes more critical if you have herbs as a component of your treatment as they can also have certain harmful effects if combined by the therapy. 

Avoid taking caffeine: Intake of caffeine just before or after the session can affect your healing time. It is recommended not to take coffee at least 2 hours before & after your acupuncture treatment. Having coffee increases your fight and flight response, which on the other hand acupuncture therapy shifts you towards rest and digest mode.  

Skip stimulants or depressants: If you have your acupuncture appointment, be sure to avoid any stimulants or depressants including drugs and alcohol. They can have a negative impact on your healing and relaxation. As acupuncture is focused on bringing a better vision and more awareness of how your body functions and heals, the effect of alcohol can do just the opposite! Thus, if you want your session to perform well and avail the maximum benefits of the therapy, avoid taking any stimulants or depressants. 

Do not brush your tongue: It is recommended that you should not brush your tongue at least 24 hours before your acupuncture session. This is because quite often your practitioner may ask you to show your tongue as he examines the color, coating and its texture that helps in acupuncture diagnosis. 

If you decide to go with a free-mind and follow these eight things you can certainly make the most out of your first acupuncture therapy.  When you believe that acupuncture is not intimidating and painful as you had thought, you will certainly start noticing how the therapy can help you drastically and drive you towards a better physical and mental health. Having a good and experienced acupuncturist can further assist you on how many sessions you must take to see noticeable results that work perfectly for you.