What to do before/ after your first acupuncture session?

Have a snack: Acupuncture moderates the activity of the nervous system, and as such can alter blood sugar and energy levels.  It is important to have had a small snack before your first session, as people can often feel faint from dropping blood sugar levels after their first session.

No Caffeine/ alcohol: Substances that can impact the activity of the nervous system should be avoided for 2 hours before and after acupuncture, these include both coffee or caffeinated beverages (stimulants) or alcohol (depressant).  If you are currently taking pain medications, continue to take them as you normally would.

Rest: In general it is best to rest after your session, for atleast a couple of hours…. so don’t plan a long run or workout for after your session.

How long is a session?

If you are coming in for an initial assessment and treatment specifically for acupuncture the session will take 45 minutes- 1hour.  If you are receiving acupuncture as part of your physiotherapy and have already had an assessment, the session will take 30 minutes… acupuncture needles are generally left in for 15-20 minutes.

When will I start to see results?

Depending on the individual and the condition being treated, results can vary.  Some people will notice immediate results after their first session, while others will not start to notice significant results until after their third- sixth treatment.  Generally, if results are not observed by the sixth session, then acupuncture will not benefit the condition.

What does acupuncture treat?

The better question is “What doesn’t acupuncture treat?.  Acupuncture can be used to treat most conditions commonly treated with physiotherapy and more; from jaw locking to sciatica, and whiplash to osteoarthritis of the knee.  Acupuncture is particularly effective at treating both pain and inflammation, any injury that has either of those components will be appropriate for acupuncture.

Is acupuncture for acute or chronic conditions?

Acupuncture effectively treats both acute and chronic conditions.  Results are often seen/observed faster with an acute condition and will generally require less sessions.

What will it feel like, will it hurt?

The acupuncture experience is a little bit different for everybody.  Some people feel very little with acupuncture and others are a bit more sensitive to the sensation of the needles.  Generally, there can be a bit of an uncomfortable sensation associated with the acupuncture, hat occurs when the acupuncture point is stimulated by the needle.  People will often describe the sensation as a dull, achy or slight throbbing sensation, similar to a tired muscle.  The sensation lasts for a few minutes after the needle is inserted and gradually lessens.