What to Expect: Before Your First Visit
Not knowing what to expect when seeing a new practitioner can be a big source of anxiety, especially if you’ve never gotten acupuncture before! I have a series of entries that will (hopefully!) answer a lot of questions you may have about what to expect before, during, and after your first acupuncture visit. This first entry is about what to expect before your visit!
Getting your first appointment scheduled…
To make your first appointment, click on any of the “book now!” buttons and create an account with the patient portal. The patient portal will be your hub for all clinic information! In the patient portal, you can make and change any of your appointments, as well as fill out any forms and look at any treatment-related documents that I send to you.
Once you make your first appointment, you’ll be sent your intake form to fill out on the patient portal. This intake form can seem really long and may take some time to answer. Chinese medicine looks at your concern holistically, so I need to get a full picture of your health story and what is going on in your body. So, it’s important to fill it out as much as possible with as much detail as you are comfortable providing! Each form saves after submission, but your answers can sometimes be lost if the page refreshes before you’ve submitted it. If there is a section you aren’t sure how to answer or you’d prefer to keep private, leaving it blank is fine too!
Please make sure to complete the intake form and all consent forms before your first visit! If you’re not able to fill them out ahead of time, please arrive a minimum of 15 minutes (30 minutes is better!) before your appointment time to fill out the forms. Filling them out a day ahead of time is even better - it gives me time to really review your information before our visit.
Pay attention to your body (but no need to obsess!) in the days leading up to your visit! During your intake appointment, we will discuss your symptoms, as well as your general body functions, including your bowel movements, urination, menstrual cycle, eating habits, and more (more details on that in the next entry!). Feel free to write down anything specific you notice before your appointment that you’d like to discuss. Bringing notes is a-ok!
If you are looking for help with digestive concerns, consider keeping a food journal leading up to your visit. You’ll find the food journal in the intake form, but you can also record it on paper and bring it to your appointment if that is easier. If you have a history of disordered eating patterns or this is uncomfortable for you - a food journal isn’t essential, and we can still work on your health concerns without one!
On the day of your appointment…
Eat before your appointment! If it has been a few hours since you last ate, make sure you have a snack. It’s important not to be hungry when having your treatment! If you need a snack or if you have been fasting, please let me know prior to the treatment.
Wear or bring loose clothing that can easily be rolled up past your knees and elbows, or bring a pair of shorts to change into. This allows me to have easy access to many of the commonly used acupuncture points. Many acupuncture treatments are done with your clothing on, and I can just move clothing as needed. Of course, there are also sheets and blankets available in the clinic to cover your body for modesty and warmth as needed!
Please avoid scraping your tongue and excessive caffeine on the day of your appointment. I check your tongue coating and pulse during your visit, which can be influenced by both of these.
Arriving for your appointment…
Your forms are filled out and you’re ready to go! Please try to arrive 5-10 minutes early for your appointment so that we can start right on time. Take some time to settle in and visit the restroom if needed.
Just a reminder: anyone who arrives more than 10 minutes past their scheduled appointment time (or hasn’t filled out their intake form before the start of their appointment) will be asked to reschedule and be charged a late cancel fee (see the financial policies page for more information). It is really important to me to keep to the schedule so everyone with an appointment gets their time!
Now that you know what to do before your first appointment, let’s talk about what to expect during your first appointment. Click here for the next entry!